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IRGC deputy commander: Enemies achieved no objectives in 12-day conflict

Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi

Speaking at a ceremony in Qom, General Fadavi highlighted that despite extensive planning and announced objectives, the enemy faced “complete failure” in the short conflict.

He acknowledged that casualties are a natural part of warfare but emphasized that Iran’s defense was effective and the adversaries admitted defeat.

General Fadavi underlined the continuing importance of provincial IRGC units, noting their critical role in national defense. He cited instances in which local operations, including missile strikes against Israeli targets, involved significant sacrifices by Iranian forces.

He also referenced longstanding US hostility toward Iran since the 1979 revolution, stating that American efforts to undermine the Islamic Republic have consistently failed, highlighting Iran’s demonstrated deterrence capabilities following missile strikes on Al Udeid base in Qatar.

60% of Gen Z in US support Hamas over Israel amid Gaza war: Poll

Hamas

As part of a broad set of questions, the survey asked online respondents: “In the Israel-Hamas conflict, do you support more Israel or more Hamas?”

According to the online survey released this week, 60% of the young people aged between 18 to 24 expressed support for Hamas over Israel.

Among the age groups that sided with Israel were 25-34-year-olds with 65%, 35-44-year-olds with 70%, 45-54-year-olds with 74%, 55-64-year-olds with 84%, and 65 and older with 89%.

The poll also found that voters were evenly divided on whether Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza, with a 50-50 split.

It also revealed that the slight majority of the respondents (51%) believe criticism of Israel is driven more by a concern for Palestinian human rights rather than antisemitism.

Conducted by The Harris Poll and HarrisX between Aug. 20-21 with 2,025 registered voters and a margin of error of 2.2% points, the poll has been widely cited as evidence of a fundamental shift in American public opinion.

Israel’s offensive has killed nearly 63,400 Palestinians since October 2023, devastating the enclave as famine spreads in the second year of genocide.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

IRGC condemns Israel’s deadly strike in Yemen

IRGC

In a statement, the IRGC said the attack was a “blatant war crime against humanity” that exposed the “savage and inhuman nature” of Israel and its backers.
It stressed that such crimes would only ignite further “sacred rage” across the region, fueling resistance against occupiers and hegemonic powers.

The statement pointed to the United States full  support for Israel while international organizations remain silent in the face of atrocities in Gaza and now Yemen.

It warned that the “pure blood of martyrs” would strengthen the resolve of the Yemeni people and expand the geography of resistance.

Calling on Islamic governments, international bodies, and human rights organizations to break their silence and take decisive action, the IRGC vowed unwavering support for the peoples of Palestine and Yemen.

“Resistance will continue, and ultimate victory belongs to the oppressed and justice-seeking nations,” it declared.

Official: Iran weighs conditional accession to CFT, seeks closer engagement with FATF

FATF

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, Hadi Khani noted that Iran is already a member of the Palermo Convention and hopes for “more serious discussions” with representatives of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in the near future.

He stressed that Iran has long been unfairly placed on FATF’s high-risk list, which has led to economic restrictions. “Remaining on the blacklist and potential activation of mechanisms such as the snapback clause would increase costs for managing sanctions,” he warned.

Khani emphasized that many countries have joined these conventions with specific reservations to protect national interests, adding that Iran’s review process in the Expediency Council is technical and independent of political or media pressures.

Iran has already incorporated parts of FATF recommendations into domestic law, and officials hope to finalize decisions after ongoing expert reviews, he explained.

Israeli government moves meetings to ‘secret location’ after assassination of Yemeni officials

Yemen

The Houthi group confirmed Saturday that Prime Minister Ahmed Ghalib Al-Rahawi and several ministers were killed in an Israeli attack on Sanaa on Thursday.

Israeli Channel 12 reported a government meeting and another for the Security Cabinet were relocated to a “secret and fortified location” and the relocation was communicated to ministers shortly before they convened.

The two meetings are scheduled to discuss several issues, including increased funding for security institutions, the situation in Gaza, potential international recognition of a Palestinian state, and security developments in Lebanon and Syria.

According to Israeli media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Security Cabinet decided to discuss only a comprehensive deal for the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas, rejecting a recent partial deal proposal offered by mediators despite its near-total alignment with Israel’s earlier conditions.

Hamas has repeatedly expressed readiness to release all Israeli hostages in exchange for an end to the war, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners, but Netanyahu has insisted on new conditions while continuing plans to reoccupy Gaza.

Israel has killed nearly 63,400 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Ukraine plans strikes deep into Russia: Zelensky

Volodymyr Zelensky

“We will continue our active operations in exactly the way needed for Ukraine’s defence. The forces and resources are prepared. New deep strikes have also been planned,” Zelenskiy wrote on X after meeting Ukraine’s top general, Oleksandr Syrsky.

It came after Permanent Representative of the United States to NATO Matthew Whitaker said Washington is supplying Ukraine with weapons that allow it to strike deeper into Russian territory.

“And finally, you know, we’re giving some deeper strike capabilities, and most likely, the Ukrainians are going to use them,” the diplomat noted during a live broadcast on Fox News.

He did not specify which systems he was referring to, but mentioned the plans announced by Washington on Thursday to sell Kiev over 3,000 ERAM air-based missiles, as well as purchases of weapons for Ukraine from the United States by NATO allies.

“President Trump’s making sure that Ukraine can continue to defend itself, and by giving them some deeper strike capabilities that obviously could help them offensively,” Whitaker reiterated.

Russia has repeatedly pointed out that long-range strikes are carried out not by Kiev, but by Western countries, whose specialists provide target guidance. Russia will respond decisively if long-range systems are used against it, stated Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

Israel targeted spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing: Netanyahu

Netanyahu

“We have struck the Hamas spokesman, the spokesman for this criminal and murderous organisation, Abu Obeida,” Netanyahu said, according to a readout of a government meeting.

“I hope he is no longer with us, but I notice that there is no one on the Hamas side to clarify this matter,” the Israeli prime minister added.

The spokesman has for years regularly appeared in the Palestinian militants’ video messages wearing military fatigues and a red keffiyeh scarf to obscure his face.

During nearly 23 months of devastating war in Gaza, the group’s senior leadership has been decimated by Israel, which has vowed to eradicate the fighters following their October 7, 2023 attack.

Israel’s killing of Hamas’s political chief Ismail Haniyeh, the head of its armed wing Mohammed Deif, and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar — accused by Israel of masterminding the October 7 attack — along with a string of other commanders and political figures, has considerably weakened the movement.

Hamas’s October 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people.

Of the 251 hostages seized during the attack, 47 are still being held in Gaza, around 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 63,450 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Gaza.

IRGC colonel killed during mission in Iran’s southeast

Crime Scene

In a statement released on Sunday, the public relations office of the IRGC’s Tharallah unit in Kerman province confirmed that Colonel Mohammadi was martyred while performing his duties in the volatile border area of Sistan-Baluchestan.

Details of the incident have not yet been released, and no group has claimed responsibility for possible hostilities in the area.

Sistan-Baluchestan, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, has long been a hotspot for cross-border smuggling, armed clashes, and militant activity. Security forces and civilians in the region frequently face confrontations with armed groups, including separatists and drug traffickers.

Top Russian general says military operation against Ukraine will continue

Russian Army

Russia’s Joint Group of Forces is pushing its “non-stop offensive” on almost all sections of the front line, he said at a Russian Defense Ministry briefing on Saturday.

“An analysis of the state of Ukrainian troops shows that in the spring and summer, the enemy concentrated all its efforts on slowing down our offensive, while suffering heavy losses.”

“As a result, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are forced to transfer the most combat-ready units from one crisis direction to another to ‘plug holes’. Today, the strategic initiative is entirely with the Russian troops,” he added.

The offensive is accompanied by regular “massive” strikes on Ukrainian arms manufacturing facilities, Gerasimov added.

“During the spring-summer period, such strikes were carried out against 76 important facilities,” he said.

“Targeted massive fire strikes continue exclusively against military facilities and military-industrial complex facilities in Ukraine.”

Gerasimov also stressed that the advances on the battlefield would not have been possible without “the timely supply” of “high-precision weapons, missiles, ammunition, weapons and military equipment,” by Russian industry.

Iranian cheetah at brink of extinction, says environment chief

In a message marking National Asiatic Cheetah Day on August 31, the official wrote: “We are standing at the crossroads of extinction or survival. We are just one step from a national regret but still a few steps from reviving the population; steps we are determined to take.”

According to the department, only 20 Asiatic cheetahs remain in the wild, mostly in the Touran Biosphere Reserve, while six others are kept in a controlled breeding facility. Conservationists stress that the ultimate goal is to restore the species in its natural habitat, but population numbers have now fallen below the red line.

Experts have repeatedly called for greater inter-agency support, warning that without urgent action, the cheetah, once roaming vast regions of Asia, could disappear forever.

Iran began marking National Cheetah Day in 1994 after the death of a cub known as “Marita,” an event that became a symbol of the species’ decline and the urgency of conservation efforts.