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Yemen’s Houthis confirm prime minister killed in Israeli attack on Sanaa

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Israel Yemen

Ahmed al-Rahawi was killed in a Thursday strike on Sanaa along with “several” other ministers, the Houthis said in a statement on Saturday.

Al-Rahawi, who served as prime minister in areas of the divided country that the group controls, was targeted along with other members of the Houthi-led government during a workshop, the statement added.

The Houthis did not specify how many other ministers were also killed in the Israeli attack.

“We shall take vengeance, and we shall forge from the depths of wounds a victory,” Mahdi al-Mashat, a Yemeni politician and military officer who serves as the chairman of the Supreme Political Council of the Houthis, stated in a video message later in the day.

Israel’s attack on Sanaa, which the Israeli military had claimed struck “a Houthi terrorist regime military target”, came as tensions in the region continue to escalate amid Israel’s war on Gaza.

Tel Aviv has repeatedly targeted Houthi positions in recent months as the Yemeni group has launched attacks on Israel and on Western vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, in what it says is a show of support for Palestinians in Gaza.

The group has repeatedly stressed that Israeli attacks will not deter its military operations.

In its statement on Saturday, the Houthi presidency announced its government and institutions would still be capable of carrying out their duties after the deadly Israeli attack.

“The blood of the great martyrs will be fuel and a motivator to continue on the same path,” it added.

Al-Mashat also said the Houthis will “continue the path of building our armed forces and developing their capabilities”.

“To our people in Gaza, our stance is steadfast, and will remain so until the aggression ceases and the siege is lifted, no matter the scale of the challenge,” he added.

It remains unclear how many people were killed in Thursday’s air strike on Sanaa.

Quoting unnamed sources, Israeli media reported on Friday that the Israeli army attacked the entire Houthi cabinet, including the prime minister and 12 other ministers.

The attack came days after Israeli strikes on the Yemeni capital killed 10 people and wounded more than 90, according to health officials.

The Israeli military announced it had targeted Houthi military sites and the presidential palace in that attack.

Palestinian Authority calls on US to reinstate Abbas’s visa before UNGA

By
IFP Media Wire
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White House

The Palestinian presidency expressed “astonishment” at Washington’s decision to rescind the visas for Abbas and 80 other Palestinian officials before next month’s high-level meetings at UN headquarters.

Abbas has addressed the General Assembly for many years and generally leads the Palestinian delegation.

“We call upon the American administration to reverse its decision,” Abbas’s spokesperson spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh told The Associated Press on Saturday, warning that the move “will only increase tension and escalation”.

“We have been in contact since yesterday with Arab and foreign countries, especially those directly concerned with this issue. This effort will continue around the clock,” Abu Rudeineh added.

The spokesperson also urged other countries to put pressure on US President Donald Trump’s administration to reverse its decision, including most notably those that have organised a high-level conference about reviving the two-state solution.

Set for September 22, the conference is being co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia.

The Trump administration’s visa curbs come amid growing condemnation of Israel’s devastating war on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and a wave of Israeli settler and military violence in the occupied West Bank.

The deadly attacks have prompted a growing number of countries to announce plans to recognise an independent Palestinian state at the UN in September.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified the revocations on Friday by accusing the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) of “not complying with their commitments” and “undermining the prospects for peace”.

Rubio also accused the PA of taking part in “lawfare campaigns”, including appeals to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court to hold Israeli accountable for abuses in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief said the bloc is calling on Washington to reconsider its visa denials.

“In the light of the existing agreements between the UN and its host state, we all urge for this decision to be reconsidered,” Kaja Kallas stated on Saturday following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen.

Iranian CrossFit champion killed at wedding in Mashhad

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Crime Scene

The incident also injured several other guests. According to Judge Sadegh Safari, the suspect, also a local athlete, has been identified through rapid legal procedures and a manhunt has started to find him.

Authorities say the assailant fired multiple rounds using a handgun.

No motive is known for the killing. But witnesses suggest that a family dispute may have been the primary motive. Asadi was 36.

“Economic normalization with West almost impossible after snapback”

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Speaking on the “snapback” mechanism under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, Negahdari explained that this process begins when any JCPOA participant declares a significant violation on part of Iran, automatically reactivating six previous UN sanctions without the need for a new resolution.

He stressed that the snapback primarily enforces Iran’s obligations, not those of other parties. Even if Iran raises a complaint, the mechanism ultimately leads to reinstated sanctions, he noted.

According to Negahdari, the UN Security Council must vote on a draft resolution to maintain sanctions relief, and a failure to approve it results in automatic reactivation of prior sanctions, making vetoes largely ineffective.

Negahdari also said while Russia and China cannot prevent snapback, they could weaken its implementation, especially in monitoring sanctions. As a result, international consensus against Iran would diminish, and any new UN sanctions would be difficult to pass, while meaningful economic normalization with the West becomes nearly unattainable.

Iran defeat USA to reach Final of U21 Volleyball World Championship

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

The defending champions left little chance for the opposing side, bringing the US team to its knees.

With this win, Iran moves one step closer to retaining its world title.
In the championship final, Iran will face Italy.

President Pezeshkian: No foreign power allowed to undermine Iran-Armenia friendship   

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

He was speaking on Saturday during a meeting with Secretary of Armenia’s National Security Council Armen Grigoryan.

Pezeshkian said no foreign power should be allowed to undermine the close and strategic friendship between Tehran and Yerevan.

Referring to the positive outcomes of his recent visit to Armenia, Pezeshkian welcomed progress on the North–South Corridor project, describing it as a major step toward enhancing economic and political ties.

The Iranian president further called for swift implementation of bilateral agreements.

For his part, the secretary of Armenia’s National Security Council praised Iran’s commitment to deepening ties.

Grigoryan noted that Armenia is ready to finalize a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement with Iran.

He also welcomed greater involvement of Iranian companies in Armenia’s infrastructure and development projects and voiced hope for a significant boost in economic exchanges.

Iranian president to visit China for SCO summit and Victory Day Parade

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Masoud Pezeshkian

Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said the visit will focus on participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit as well as the “Shanghai Plus” gathering, which brings together member states, observer countries, and representatives of regional and international organizations, including the UN secretary general.

The Iranian president will also attend China’s grand military parade marking the 80th anniversary of its victory in World War II.

Rahmani Fazli described Pezeshkian’s presence at the parade as a sign of the close and constructive relationship between Tehran and Beijing.

The ambassador referred to Iran’s active role in the SCO, noting that the country has taken part in over 100 meetings and committees during China’s chairmanship, with participation at ministerial and even top state levels.

He also cited recent visits to China by Iran’s judiciary chief and several cabinet ministers as evidence of strong engagement.

Rahmani Fazli underlined that Iran’s participation underscores opposition to unilateralism and commitment to multilateral cooperation for peace, security, and development at both regional and global levels.

EU says ‘not optimistic’ on sanctioning Israel over Gaza war

By
IFP Media Wire
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Gaza War

Foreign ministers meeting in Denmark will discuss a proposal to suspend EU funding to Israeli start-ups as initial punishment for the situation in Gaza.

But the bloc has so far failed to garner the majority needed to take that step — let alone move ahead with more forceful measures against Israel.

“I’m not very optimistic, and today we are definitely not going to adopt decisions,” Kallas told journalists at the start of the Denmark meeting.

“It sends a signal that we are divided.”

Splits within the European Union between countries backing Israel and those favouring the Palestinians have seen the 27-nation bloc often left hamstrung in the face of the dire humanitarian crisis in the besieged and bombardment enclave.

A string of EU countries are pushing for more far-reaching punishment for Israel, but have been frustrated.

Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency, insisted the bloc “must change words into action”.

He stated that Copenhagen backed suspending trade cooperation with Israel, sanctioning far-right Israeli ministers, and banning imports from illegal settlements.

Israel is facing pressure at home and abroad to end its offensive in Gaza, where the vast majority of the population has been displaced at least once and the United Nations has declared a famine.

The war in Gaza has killed at least 63,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Gaza that the UN considers reliable.

Iran faces severe drought amid poor water management, environment chief warns

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Iran drought

She said the crisis is partly driven by climate change, but also by mismanagement of water resources.

Speaking on Saturday, Ansari criticized years of planning that ignored the country’s ecological capacities, citing examples such as the establishment of water-intensive industries in arid cities and unregulated urban expansion.

“To supply these areas, inter-basin water transfers were carried out, creating new environmental and social challenges,” she noted.

Ansari also pointed to unsustainable agricultural practices, including water-intensive crops and outdated irrigation methods, as major contributors to the crisis.

She urged a comprehensive review of water policies, emphasizing the need for better consumption management in agriculture, industry, and urban areas.

Proposed solutions include expanding wastewater treatment systems, reusing reclaimed water, and adopting sustainable consumption models.

On transboundary water issues, Ansari stressed the importance of environmental diplomacy, particularly in managing shared resources like the Hoor al-Azim wetland along the Iran-Iraq border, which suffers from seasonal drying and fires.

She called for stronger regional and international engagement to secure Iran’s environmental water rights.

US backing ‘Chinese peacekeepers’ in Ukraine: FT

By
IFP Media Wire
-

According to four FT sources, Trump suggested that China station troops in a prospective neutral zone along the 1,300km front line as part of a peace settlement with Russia. The proposal was reportedly made during a meeting at the White House last week involving European leaders and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

However, a senior Trump administration official dismissed the report as “false,” stressing that there has been no discussion on the matter.

The idea has reportedly met with resistance from EU nations and was previously rejected by Zelensky, who cited what he called Beijing’s failure to prevent the conflict both in 2014 and 2022.

Previous reports claimed that US, Ukrainian, and European officials have discussed the concept of a demilitarized zone patrolled by neutral peacekeepers as the first layer of a peace settlement. Other reports suggest that another idea is to deploy Western troops for this purpose – which Moscow is vehemently opposed to.

Earlier this month, the Chinese Foreign Ministry denied reports that Beijing had expressed willingness to join a potential international peacekeeping force in Ukraine. Since the start of the Ukraine conflict, Beijing has positioned itself as a neutral actor, calling on both belligerents to end the hostilities and stressing that it is essential to promote a sustainable political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

While Russia has indicated in principle that it does not oppose Western security guarantees for Ukraine, it insists that any arrangement be supported by UN Security Council permanent members, including China. It has stressed that guarantees should not be “one-sided” and aimed at containing Russia.

Moscow has opposed the deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine in any form, arguing that the expansion of the bloc’s military infrastructure towards Russia’s borders was one of the key reasons for the conflict.

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