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EU says to freeze payments to Israel

The European Union

She stressed that what is happening in Gaza has “shaken the conscience of the world” and that in addition to suspending payments, the EC will propose sanctions on “extremist ministers and violent settlers” and “propose a partial suspension of the Association Agreement on trade-related matters.”

The EC had previously also proposed suspending Israel’s access to EU Horizon research funding for start-up companies, although von der Leyen noted that the move is not yet possible because it needs support from a weighted majority of the bloc’s 27 member states. The initiative is currently opposed by Germany, Italy, Hungary, and several other states.

Von Der Leyen insisted that the EU “cannot afford to be paralyzed” in the face of “catastrophic” images coming out of Gaza of people being “killed while begging for food” and “mothers holding lifeless babies.”

Over 64,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its campaign two years ago, following Hamas’ 2023 attack that left 1,200 dead and about 250 taken hostage.

Von der Leyen’s announcement comes after Israel also drew international criticism on Tuesday for carrying out an attack on a Hamas-controlled compound in the Qatari capital of Doha.

Israel sabotages any attempt at diplomacy: Iran’s president

Masoud Pezeshkian

In a statement released on Tuesday, Pezeshkian condemned Israel’s aggression against Qatari territory as “illegal, inhuman and anti-peace.”

On Tuesday, Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on the headquarters of the Hamas resistance movement in the Qatari capital, Doha, in what Israeli media described as an “assassination operation.”

The air raids came as Hamas leaders had convened to discuss the latest US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Pezeshkian urged the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and other international institutions “to respond immediately, decisively, and practically to this blatant aggression.”

He added that “lasting peace in the region is only possible by ending the occupation and aggression.”

“This terrorist act reflects the fact that the Zionist regime recognizes no boundaries for crime and terror, and on the other hand, it sabotages any attempt at diplomacy,” he said.

Pezeshkian also stated that attacking an independent country is a clear violation of national sovereignty and the United Nations Charter.

The Iranian president warned that the indifference of world powers in the face of such behavior “will double the risk of spreading crisis and war in the region.”

Pezeshkian reaffirmed Iran’s solidarity with Qatar and the oppressed people of Palestine, emphasizing that Israel’s “aggression and state terrorism” will not weaken the Palestinian people’s determination to pursue freedom and resistance.

“On the contrary, it will further strengthen the unity of the nations of the region against this occupation and injustice,” he continued.

Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran will “stand alongside all the oppressed nations of the region and will not allow unilateral and aggressive policies to jeopardize the security and future of the region.”

In an earlier attempt to derail diplomacy, Israel launched an unlawful aggression against Iran in June while Tehran and Washington were actively engaged in negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

 

Iran’s FM: Only way to confront Israel’s reckless behavior is unified Islamic response

Abbas Araghchi

Israel launched airstrikes on the headquarters of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas in the Qatari capital, Doha, in what was described as an “assassination operation” that claimed the lives of several Hamas officials as well as civilians in the Persian Gulf Arab country.

“Israel has heinously done what Iran would never contemplate: attacking the dear People and Government of Qatar,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X.

“Iran stands with its Qatari and Palestinian brothers in the face of this illegal attack on urban residences used by civilian guests of the State of Qatar who do not pose a threat to anyone,” he added and offered condolences over the “vile assault”, which also left civilians injured.

The Iranian foreign minister called for concerted efforts by Muslims in the face of Israeli acts of aggression and expressed the Islamic Republic’s readiness for cooperation in confronting threats.

“The only way to decisively address the recklessness of the Israeli regime is for the Muslim world to act in unison. Iran stands ready to deepen cooperation in the interest of confronting threats to international peace and security,” Araghchi stressed.

 

Analyst compares Israel’s failed assassination attempt in Doha to 1997 Amman incident

Israeli Air Force

Saber Gol-Anbari, an analyst of Arab affairs, wrote in a commentary that Hamas has now witnessed two failed assassination attempts against its senior figures abroad.

He explained the first was in 1997, when Khaled Mashal, then head of Hamas’s political bureau, survived an attack in Jordan. The second, he said, occurred on Tuesday in Qatar.

Gol-Anbari recalled that the Amman incident ended with the arrest of Mossad agents and heavy pressure from King Hussein, forcing Israel to provide the antidote to save Mashal’s life and to release Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and 70 other prisoners, a move that revived Hamas politically.

He argued that the Doha operation, though unsuccessful, could also backfire.

Reports suggested US President Donald Trump contacted Qatar’s emir following the attack, while Qatari officials denied claims of prior American warnings.

Gol-Anbari questioned Washington’s role, adding that the incident may escalate tensions in the Persian Gulf and complicate Israel’s ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Iran’s security chief Larijani condemns Israeli attack on Qatar as “ambition for dominance”

Ali Larijani

In a post published in Arabic on the social media platform X, Larijani said the assault demonstrated Israel’s intention to assert future control across the Middle East.

“The message of the recent crime by the Zionist regime in Qatar is one thing: Oh countries of the region, beware of my future domination!,” he wrote.

The remarks came after Israeli forces launched strikes on Tuesday targeting areas in Doha to assassinate senior Hamas officials.

The airstrikes came as Hamas leaders had reportedly convened to discuss the latest US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Hamas later released a statement condemning the strikes as a “heinous crime” and a violation of international law.

The resistance movement confirmed that its senior negotiators survived the attack, but five members of the group, all described as companions of the delegation, were killed.

Poland downs Russian drones amid mass attack on Ukraine

The incident occurred as Russia launched waves of drones and missiles across Ukraine, primarily targeting central and western regions and inflicting civilian casualties.

“Last night the Polish airspace was violated by a huge number of Russian drones,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X, adding that those “that posed a direct threat were shot down.”

Polish authorities temporarily closed Warsaw’s main Chopin Airport and placed the country’s air defenses on high alert overnight after what they described as “an unprecedented violation of Polish airspace by drone-type objects.”

The Polish Armed Forces’ Operational Command announced it had activated all necessary procedures to protect national airspace and scrambled both Polish and NATO aircraft in response to the threat.

Earlier, Tusk confirmed that a military operation related to multiple violations of Polish airspace was underway without initially naming the drones’ origin. The prime minister also added that he has informed the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte about the situation.

Russian drones and missiles have repeatedly violated the airspace of Poland and other NATO members during strikes on Ukraine, but until Sept. 10, there had never been a confirmed case of local defenses shooting one down.

Polish fighter jets have been scrambled before in response to the war, but previous deployments primarily involved monitoring or escorting Russian drones that briefly entered Polish airspace en route to targets in Ukraine — not engaging or shooting them down.

The Polish military later announced that the Polish and allied aircraft, including Dutch F-35 warplanes, concluded their operation, and air defenses and radar systems resumed normal activity. The search for impact sites and wreckage is ongoing.

The European Union’s Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has called for the EU to develop a “drone wall” along its eastern flank.

“Once again Russia tests frontier states, EU & NATO,” Kubilius wrote in a post on social media.

“We shall work together with Member States, frontier countries and Ukraine. Russia will be stopped,” he added.

“Russia’s war is escalating, not ending. We must raise the cost on Moscow, strengthen support for Ukraine, and invest in Europe’s defence. The EU plays a major role and we will support initiatives like the Eastern Border Shield defence line,” the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, wrote on social media.

Qatar calls for retaliation against Israel for aerial raid in Doha

“The State of Qatar is committed to act in a decisive way with anything that would target its territories and will reserve the right to retaliate and will take all the needed measures to retaliate,” al-Thani said at a news conference on Tuesday, through a translator.

The Qatari prime minister stated that his minister of State will convene a meeting on Wednesday to “review all the policies and directives in order to deter such actions and measures in the future so that it cannot happen again.”

Al-Thani called the strike on Doha “state terrorism” by Israel and took aim at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who al-Thani noted threatened regional security and violated the sovereignty of nearby nations.

“I think that we have reached a decisive moment. There should be retaliation from the whole region in the face of those barbaric actions that only reflects one thing: It reflects the barbarism of this person that is leading the region, unfortunately, to a point where we cannot address any situation and we cannot repair anything, and we cannot work within the frameworks of international laws. He just violates all those international laws,” al-Thani added, referring to Netanyahu.

Israel escalated its war against Hamas on Tuesday by launching an assassination strike on Hamas’s political leadership based in Qatar. The move appeared to end any efforts to release hostages through negotiation, which have been taking place in Qatar and with the help of its leaders.

Even as Qatar vowed to retaliate, the country maintained that it would not abandon its role as a mediator in many regional negotiations.

“Mediation and Qatari diplomacy is part of its identity, and it will continue, and nothing will deter us from persisting in this role across the various issues around us in the region, in order to achieve the stability of the region and ultimately the stability of our peoples,” al-Thani stated.

 

Iran’s nuclear industry cannot be obliterated through bombardment: AEOI head

Mohammad Eslami

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of the depreciation management laboratory in Tehran on Tuesday, Mohammad Eslami stated that Iran’s nuclear industry is completely indigenous and developed through research-based efforts.

Enemies view such an industry as sustainable, which cannot be destroyed with bombardment, he said.

“The nuclear industry is the driving force of advanced science and technology, and is urgently needed in all spheres. No one can take this industry away from the Iranian nation.”

The AEOI chief said Iran’s atomic agency is pursuing a program-oriented development process.

He stated that among the core requirements of the ambitious plan are the identification of the safety requirements of radiation environments in the fields of design, construction, and maintenance, and their advancement on the basis of precise calculations and in accordance with safety standards.

Eslami said there is a standard and common method of estimating the fatigue of a structure in the process of building nuclear installations, stating that no one has made an accurate measurement of the effects of radiation, and the durability of a structure, product, system, or component under the influence of radiation has not been analyzed up to now.

“Accordingly, this issue was studied using laboratory methods in the depreciation management laboratory,” he said.

Eslami emphasized that, besides designing for the life and durability of components, Iranian nuclear scientists must make an accurate and precise diagnosis of tests and then monitor it throughout its operational life to ensure that the designed structure is consistent with the specified life and can be put into service smoothly until the end of the specified time.

“We have now acquired design and engineering capabilities. We possess the technology. We manufacture the necessary equipment and items inside our country,” the top Iranian nuclear official said.

On June 13, the Israeli regime launched an unlawful aggression against Iran, leading to the assassination of many senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary citizens.

Iran retaliated in less than 24 hours with a barrage of missiles and drones, and followed it up with a series of retaliatory operations under True Promise III.

The US entered the war on behalf of Israel on June 22, when its bombers hit three Iranian nuclear sites in brazen violation of international law.

In response, Iran launched a missile strike on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military air base in West Asia, in an act of self-defense.

The Israeli regime unilaterally accepted a US-proposed truce deal on June 24.

 

President Pezeshkian urges Muslim nations to condemn Israeli aggression against Qatar

Pezeshkian Qatari Emir

During a phone conversation with Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani on Tuesday evening, President Pezeshkian expressed strong condemnation of the Israeli regime’s aggression and reiterated Iran’s solidarity with Qatar.

Pezeshkian criticized the Israeli regime for its disregard for accepted international norms and legal frameworks, emphasizing that such actions are supported by the United States. He stated that the Israeli regime disrupts the security, stability, and peace of the entire region under the pretext of self-defense, committing atrocities without hesitation.

The president urged Islamic nations to adopt a unified stance against these violations, asserting that collective condemnation is necessary to deter further aggression from the Israeli regime. He emphasized that a coordinated response from Islamic countries is essential to effectively address and oppose the ongoing crimes.

In response, the Qatari Emir acknowledged the importance of a unified regional stance against Israeli actions, highlighting that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows no limits to his aggression.

He noted that recent discussions with Hamas officials revealed a willingness to respond positively to a ceasefire proposal from the US, only for Israel to launch an attack during those negotiations.

He expressed hope for continued communication between Iran and other Islamic nations to collaboratively take effective measures to halt Israeli atrocities.

Trump ‘feels very bad’ about Israel attack against Qatar: White House

Trump and Netanyahu

“Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard and greatly taking risks with us to broker peace does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a Tuesday press briefing.

“The President views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States, and feels very badly about the location of this attack. President Trump wants all of the hostages in Gaza and the bodies of the dead released and this war to end now,” she added.

The administration was notified of the strike by the U.S. military, Leavitt said. It’s unclear how the military was made aware of the plans. Leavitt added Trump directed special envoy Steve Witkoff to inform Qatari officials of the “impending attack.”

The president spoke with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the attack and reiterated that he wants “peace,” she continued.

The raid was immediately condemned by Qatar and its neighboring states, warning that the attack risks escalating tensions in the region. The leaders of France and the United Kingdom also criticized the attack.

After the attack, Trump also spoke with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, according to Leavitt.

Trump sought to further distance himself from Israel’s attack in Qatar, posting an addendum to an earlier statement from the White House that specified the decision was made by Israel’s leader and that the US learned of it too late to intervene.

“This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me,” Trump wrote on Truth Social today, inserting the line into a statement read earlier from the White House briefing room by Leavitt.

Trump added that by the time his administration learned of the attack and told the Qataris, there was little he could do to stop it.

“I immediately directed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did, however, unfortunately, too late to stop the attack,” Trump wrote.

The president also said he directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to finalize a defense cooperation agreement with Qatar, though the two countries have an existing pact that Trump amended when he visited Qatar in May.