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US vetoes UN Security Council Gaza ceasefire demand for sixth time

By
IFP Media Wire
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The resolution, approved by 14 of the 15 members of the council on Thursday, called for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties”, the release of all captives held by Hamas and other groups, and a lifting of restrictions on humanitarian aid into the besieged and bombardment enclave.

Drafted by the council’s 10 elected members, the resolution went further than previous iterations to highlight what diplomats called the “catastrophic” humanitarian situation in Gaza after nearly two years of war in the Gaza Strip, which has killed at least 65,100 people, according to Palestinian health officials.

As expected, the United States vetoed the effort. “US opposition to this resolution will come as no surprise,” said Morgan Ortagus, US deputy special envoy to the Middle East.

“It fails to condemn Hamas or recognise Israel’s right to defend itself, and it wrongly legitimises the false narratives benefitting Hamas, which have sadly found currency in this council,” she continued.

Ortagus added that the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification’s official declaration of famine in the enclave last month had employed “flawed methodology”, hailing the work of the heavily militarised GHF hubs, where so many Palestinians have been killed while seeking food for their families.

After the vote, the Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour stressed that the US veto was “deeply regrettable” and had prevented “the Security Council from playing its rightful role in the face of these atrocities and to protect civilians in the face of genocide”.

“Unfortunately, the Council remains silent at a great cost for its credibility and authority,” Mansour continued, adding, “This demonstrates that when it comes to atrocity crimes, the use of the veto should simply not be allowed.”

Iran mourns educator, author Samineh Baghcheban

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Former students, cultural figures, and officials gathered to honor her legacy before her burial in the section of Notables at Behesht Zahra cemetery.

Baghcheban, who died on September 16 at the age of 97, was the daughter of Jabar Baghcheban, founder of Iran’s first school for the deaf.

After his death in 1966, she took over the school’s leadership, continuing the family’s mission of advancing education for children with hearing disabilities.

Attendees included her sister, Parvaneh Baghcheban, presidential adviser Ali Rabiei, poet Mohammad-Reza Shafiei Kadkani, and numerous former students spanning generations.
Many addressed the crowd in sign language, recalling her tireless work in education and literature.

Rabiei, conveying condolences from President Massoud Pezeshkian, described the Baghcheban family as central to Iran’s cultural identity.

“Iran means Jabar Baghcheban, Iran means Samineh Baghcheban, and Iran means everyone who has served culture and society,” he said.

Baghcheban authored several acclaimed children’s books, including The Wooden Bridge and Norooz and the Kites, and promoted Persian folk songs and stories through sign-language adaptations.

Iran denounces US violations at IAEA general conference

By
IFP Media Wire
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Reza Najafi warned that the international community’s indifference toward the actions of the US and the Zionist regime could have serious consequences, urging decisive measures in response.

Speaking under Iran’s proposed agenda item titled “Prohibition of All Forms of Attack and Threat of Attack Against Nuclear Facilities Under IAEA Safeguards,” he praised countries—especially members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)—that responsibly condemned the military aggression carried out by the US and the Zionist regime against Iran.

He called for holding both the United States and the Zionist regime accountable for their blatant violations of international law and the non-proliferation regime.

Najafi also revealed that several IAEA member states with close ties to Iran and other co-sponsors of Iran’s proposed resolution—despite strongly condemning Israel’s aggressive attacks—have privately admitted they are under heavy pressure and threats from the United States not to support the resolution.

The 69th IAEA General Conference, one of the agency’s most significant annual gatherings, opened Monday at its Vienna headquarters with the participation of senior representatives from member states. The weeklong conference will run until Friday and will cover a wide range of issues concerning the agency’s work and budget.

Glowing object seen in Iranian skies linked to domestic system tests

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Residents in Golestan, Semnan, Khorasan Razavi, Isfahan, and parts of South Khorasan reported seeing a bright object moving across the night sky. The unusual sight quickly drew attention on social media, with photos and videos shared widely.

In response, the deputy governor for political and security affairs in Golestan Province said the incident was connected to internal system testing.

“This matter is related to domestic system tests. There is absolutely no cause for concern,” the official stated. He added that further details would be released if necessary.

The sighting follows similar reports from eastern parts of the country a day earlier, where luminous objects were also captured and circulated online.

The events stirred curiosity and concern months after the Israeli regime waged a war against Iran, which culminated in a ceasefire.

Foreign Minister: Iran’s Proposal to E3 Reasonable, Logical

By
IFP Media Wire
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Seyed Abbas Araqchi said Thursday night that in his phone conversation the day before with the foreign ministers of the three European countries — Germany, France, and the United Kingdom — as well as with Ms. Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, he presented this plan to his European counterparts.

He added that, instead of addressing the substance of this plan, Iran is now facing a series of excuses and clear evasions — including the absurd claim that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not represent the entire political structure of Iran.

The Iranian foreign minister expressed satisfaction that French President Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged that Iran’s proposed plan is reasonable.

Araqchi said, “Macron and the international community must know that I enjoy the full support of all branches of the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the country’s Supreme National Security Council.”

He stated, “It is now time for the UN Security Council to step in and replace confrontation with diplomacy. The risk is at its highest level.”

On August 27, the three European countries sent a letter to the Security Council initiating the process of triggering the snapback mechanism to reimpose previously lifted UN Security Council sanctions against Iran.

Araqchi also referred on X to Iran’s recent agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a new chapter of cooperation with the Agency, as well as the presentation of a creative, fair, and balanced proposal addressing real concerns, adding that implementing this idea could be done swiftly and could prevent a crisis by resolving the main lines of disagreement.

Trump admin. wants key Afghan air base back

By
IFP Media Wire
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American troops hastily evacuated the base in July 2021, a month before Taliban militants seized Kabul, toppling the UN-backed government and ending the 20-year US occupation of the country.

“We should have never given it up,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office on Friday. He added that during his trip to the UK the previous day, the US was negotiating the issue with the new Afghan government.

“We want that base back,” he said.

“One of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons,” he stated Thursday during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Photos and videos of the looted base and abandoned military equipment became symbols of the failure of the US war in Afghanistan.

Although Trump had negotiated the transition of defense responsibilities to local authorities during his first term, he blamed the fall of Kabul to the Taliban on former US President Joe Biden, calling the chaotic departure of the last American soldiers “a disgrace.”

Zakir Jalaly, an Afghan Foreign Ministry official, wrote on X on Thursday that the people of Afghanistan would reject the return of American troops.

“Afghanistan and the US need to engage with one another, and can have economic and political relations based on mutual respect, without the US maintaining any military presence in any part of Afghanistan,” he added.

Following the US withdrawal, the originally Soviet-built airfield came under the control of Afghanistan’s Taliban-led defense ministry. Trump has repeatedly alleged that the Chinese are using the base, but this claim has been rejected by Kabul and lacks credible evidence.

Trump blocks arms deal with Taiwan: WaPo

By
IFP Media Wire
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The Post linked the decision to Trump’s efforts to negotiate a trade deal with Beijing and his potential meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which is expected to take place on the sidelines of the APEC summit in South Korea next month.

The weapons deal, reportedly worth more than $400 million, was described as “more lethal” than previous deliveries. According to the Post, Trump’s team believes Taiwan should purchase its own weapons, reflecting the president’s “transactional” approach to foreign policy. A White House official told the outlet that the decision has not yet been finalized.

Beijing, which considers the self-governing island its territory, strongly opposes any foreign military aid to Taipei. Xi has stated China seeks peaceful reunification but reserves the right to use force. In December, the Chinese Foreign Ministry warned Taipei that “relying on the US to seek independence and using military means to pursue independence is a path to self-destruction.”

The Taiwanese Defense Ministry declined to comment on the report but announced that “Taiwan and the US maintain a close security cooperation mechanism, with all exchange programs carried out on schedule to build a comprehensive defense system.”

Washington has approved several arms sales to Taiwan in recent years, including the delivery of NASAMS air-defense missile systems.

India ramping up Russian oil imports amid US trade negotiations: Bloomberg

By
IFP Media Wire
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Indian refiners intend to continue purchasing Russian crude to meet rising fuel demand, even as New Delhi restarts trade talks with the US for a bilateral deal, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

India’s imports of Russian oil are likely to remain strong for November and December deliveries, although volumes may fall short of recent highs, the media outlet said, citing people familiar with the procurement plans.

Deliveries of Russian crude to India rose by 5.6% in August to 1.6 million barrels per day (mbd), according to data from analytics firm Kpler.

New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil have drawn the ire of the US, which has slapped 25% punitive tariffs on India, in addition to 25% levies imposed after the two countries could not arrive at a trade deal.

At a press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, US President Donald Trump stated that he had imposed “sanctions” on India, a country he claimed to have a close relationship with, in an effort to help bring an end to the Ukraine conflict.

”When I found out that the European nations were buying oil from Russia… And, as you know, I am very close to India, I am very close to the prime minister of India. I spoke to him the other day, I wished him a happy birthday. We have a very good relationship. He put out a beautiful statement, too… But I sanctioned them,” Trump added.

Before Trump’s comments on Thursday, India’s chief economic adviser, V. Ananatha Nageswaran, said he felt the US may soon scrap the penal import tariff on Indian goods and also cut the tariff to 10-15% from the existing 25%, according to a Reuters report.

A delegation led by US Trade Representative for South Asia Brendan Lynch held a new round of negotiations with Indian officials in New Delhi on Monday. Following the talks, India’s Commerce Ministry characterized the discussions as “positive and forward-looking.”

Trump says ‘not the right time’ to call for Russia-Ukraine ceasefire

By
IFP Media Wire
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Russia Ukraine War

A reporter asked Trump aboard Air Force One whether it was time to press for a ceasefire, noting that a month has passed since his rare face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

“It doesn’t feel like it,” Trump said, adding, “But at the right time, if I have to do it, it will be harsh,” he added.

Trump, who has at times criticized both Russia and Ukraine, recently admitted that negotiating an end to the conflict would be harder than he had anticipated. Speaking at a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his trip to the UK on Thursday, the US president said that Putin had “really let me down.”

Last week, Trump stated that he would impose additional “major sanctions” on Moscow, but only if all NATO members stop purchasing Russian oil.

“This is not TRUMP’S WAR (it would never have started if I was president!), it is Joe Biden’s and Volodymyr Zelensky’s WAR,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform, referring to his predecessor and the Ukrainian leader.

In a TV interview which aired in Russia on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that Trump had shifted “from issuing an ultimatum for an unconditional ceasefire to advocating for a long-term, sustainable solution.”

Moscow has demanded that Ukraine recognize its new borders, abandon its plan to join NATO in favor of permanent neutrality, and agree to limit its military. Zelensky has rejected these terms.

1 dead, 20 injured in Tehran–Mashhad bus collision in Iran

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Iran Road

According to Karen Yahyaei, spokesperson for Semnan University of Medical Sciences, the deceased was the bus driver, who succumbed to his injuries after being transferred to hospital. Among the injured, a 14-year-old boy remains in critical condition.

Nineteen of the wounded were transferred to a nearby Medical Center with the help of the Emergency Organization, while two others were transported by the Red Crescent.

Ten ambulances, a helicopter, and 25 emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene to carry out the rescue operation.

The accident occurred at 7:40 a.m. on the busy Tehran–Mashhad highway, a route of more than 900 kilometers, of which 650 kilometers pass through Semnan Province.

With over 15 million travelers using its roadways annually, the province is considered one of the most heavily trafficked transit corridors in Iran.

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