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It is ‘up to Israel’ whether to occupy all of Gaza: Trump

By
IFP Media Wire
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When asked on Tuesday about reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to occupy the entire Palestinian territory, Trump said he is focused on getting “people fed” in Gaza.

“As far as the rest of it, I really can’t say. That’s going to be pretty much up to Israel,” the US president told reporters.

Washington provides Israel with billions of dollars in military aid annually, assistance that significantly increased following the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023.

Israel has used forced displacement orders to squeeze Palestinians into ever-shrinking pockets in Gaza, turning 86 percent of the territory into militarised zones.

But increased military operations in the remaining part of the territory would further endanger the lives of Palestinians, who already endure daily bombardment and Israeli-imposed starvation.

Netanyahu’s purported plans to conquer Gaza have also raises concerns about the safety of the remaining Israeli captives held in the enclave by Hamas and other Palestinian groups.

Israel withdrew its forces and settlements from the Palestinian territory in 2005, but legal experts have said that the enclave remained technically under occupation, since the Israeli military continued to control Gaza’s airspace, territorial waters and ports of entry.

Since the start of the war in 2023, right-wing Israeli officials have called for the re-establishment of Israel’s military presence and settlements inside Gaza.

Netanyahu has also suggested that Israel aims to remove all Palestinians from the enclave, in what would amount to ethnic cleansing, a plan that Trump himself echoed in February.

Trump, at the time, proposed clearing Gaza of its people to construct a “riviera of the Middle East” in its stead.

The recent reports about Israel’s intention to expand its ground operations in Gaza come amid growing international outcry over the deadly hunger spreading across the territory.

Israel has blocked nearly all aid from entering Gaza since March, making US-backed GHF sites almost the only places for Palestinians to get food.

Hundreds of Palestinians have been shot by the Israeli military while trying to reach GHF facilities deep inside Israel’s lines of control. Nevertheless, the US has continued to support the organisation, despite international pleas to allow the UN to distribute the aid.

The Israeli military has also been accused of targeting aid seekers trying to reach assistance trucks away from GHF sites in northern Gaza.

On Tuesday, Trump reiterated his often-repeated claim that the US has provided $60m in aid to Gaza. His administration had provided $30m to GHF.

“As you know, $60m was given by the United States fairly recently to supply food – a lot of food, frankly – for the people of Gaza that are obviously not doing too well with the food,” he told reporters.

“And I know Israel is going to help us with that, in terms of distribution and also money. We also have the Arab states [which] are going to help us with that in terms of the money and possibly distribution.”

Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed more than 61,000 people and flattened most of the territory in what rights groups and UN experts have called a genocide.

US official says Trump to host Armenia, Azerbaijan leaders for peace negotiations

By
IFP Media Wire
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The official stated on Tuesday that there is a possibility a framework for a peace agreement could be announced at Friday’s meeting in Washington, DC.

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, for peace talks last month, but no breakthrough in the decades-old conflict was announced.

The two South Caucasus countries have been in conflict with each other since the late 1980s, when Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan with support from Armenia.

The region, which was claimed by both Azerbaijan and Armenia after the fall of the Russian Empire in 1917, had a mostly ethnic Armenian population at the time.

Azerbaijan recaptured Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, prompting almost all of the territory’s 100,000 Armenians to flee to Armenia.

Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of “erasing all traces” of the presence of ethnic Armenians in the contested territory, in a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The case stems from the 2020 war over Nagorno-Karabakh, which left more than 6,600 people dead, one of three full-scale wars that the two countries have fought over the region.

The United Nations’s top court has ordered Azerbaijan to allow ethnic Armenians who fled Nagorno-Karabakh to return. Azerbaijan says it is committed to ensuring all residents’ safety and security, regardless of national or ethnic origin, and that it has not forced ethnic Armenians, who are mostly Christian, to leave the Karabakh region.

Azerbaijan, whose inhabitants are mostly Muslim, links its historical identity to the territory, too, and has accused the Armenians of driving out Azeris who lived near the region in the 1990s.

The meeting in Abu Dhabi last month between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev came after the two countries finalised a draft peace deal in March.

The two leaders “agreed to continue bilateral negotiations and confidence-building measures between the two countries”, but no more concrete steps were outlined in the final statement from the talks.

Ceasefire violations along the heavily militarised 1,000km (620-mile) shared Armenia-Azerbaijan border surged soon after the draft deal was announced in March, but later diminished.

Iran executes two men for ties to Daesh, Mossad espionage

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran Prison

Mehdi Asgharzadeh was convicted of membership in the Daesh terrorist group.

Operating under aliases “Abu Khaled” and “Hesam,” he had received military and ideological training in Syria and Iraq and sustained injuries during combat in Syria, according to the judiciary.

Authorities said he later infiltrated Iran with a five-member terror cell intending to conduct attacks on religious sites using grenades, firearms, and suicide vests. The cell was dismantled before any attack could be carried out.

Asgharzadeh was found guilty of “corruption on earth” and sentenced to death, a verdict upheld by the Supreme Court.

The second individual, Rouzbeh Vadi, was executed for espionage on behalf of Israel’s Mossad spy agency.

The judiciary said he met with Mossad officers five times in Austria and provided classified information, including intelligence related to a nuclear scientist who was recently killed in an Israeli strike.

Vadi, employed at a sensitive Iranian institution, was found guilty after trial.

Both executions were carried out following Supreme Court approval and legal proceedings, according to Iranian authorities.

Gaza death toll from Israeli war tops 61,000

By
IFP Media Wire
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A ministry statement said that 87 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours, while 644 people were injured, taking the number of injuries to 150,671 in the Israeli onslaught.

The ministry also added that eight more people died from starvation and malnutrition over the past day, pushing the death toll since October 2023 to 188, including 94 children.

It also noted that 52 Palestinians were killed and 352 injured while trying to get humanitarian aid in the past day, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed while seeking aid to 1,568, with over 11,230 others wounded since May 27.

‏On Friday, UNICEF warned that children in Gaza are dying at an “unprecedented rate” amid famine and deteriorating conditions caused by Israel’s war.

According to estimates by the World Food Program (WFP), one in four Palestinians in Gaza faces famine-like conditions, and 100,000 women and children are suffering from acute malnutrition.

The Israeli army resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip on March 18 and has since killed 9,519 people and injured 38,630 others, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

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 in Gaza.

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

Iran demands security guarantees before resuming U.S. talks

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran US Flags

He confirmed that indirect messages between Iran and the U.S. are still being exchanged through mediators like Oman.

However, he condemned the recent Israeli and American strikes as a “betrayal of diplomacy,” warning that such actions shattered trust during sensitive negotiation periods.

“Before we begin any new talks, we must be assured that these attacks will not happen again,” he stated, stressing that diplomacy must not be undermined by force.

Takht-Ravanchi reiterated that Iran will only consider negotiations based on mutual benefit and equality. “We will not accept any imposed outcomes,” he said.

He also addressed U.S. and Israeli allegations about Iran’s nuclear ambitions, reaffirming that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s fatwa banning nuclear weapons remains in effect.

“We are enriching uranium for peaceful purposes only, and within our rights under the NPT,” he added.

Larijani appointed Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Ali Larijani

The appointment comes just weeks after the end of the 12-day war between Iran and the Israeli regime, and two days after the official establishment of a new body called the “Defense Council,” operating under the SNSC.

Larijani, a seasoned political figure, previously held the same post between 2005 and 2007.
He is expected to bring his extensive experience and political gravitas to the position during a period of heightened regional tension and strategic recalibration.

In his official decree, President Pezeshkian cited Larijani’s “commitment, extensive management experience, and strategic vision” as key reasons for the appointment.

The president tasked Larijani with overseeing the SNSC Secretariat, coordinating inter-agency efforts, identifying emerging security threats—including technological ones—and advancing a people-centered and smart national security strategy aligned with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s guidelines.

The SNSC plays a central role in shaping Iran’s foreign and security policy.

EU seeking to impose sanctions against China: Politico

By
IFP Media Wire
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Beijing has refused to take part in the the Western sanctions imposed on Moscow after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. China has maintained close economic ties with Russia while repeatedly calling for a diplomatic resolution. In recent months, the West has stepped up efforts to target Russia’s major trading partners, including China, in an attempt to isolate Moscow and reduce its export revenues.

The trigger for the EU’s current shift appears to be an investigative report released by Reuters in July, which cited customs data and unnamed Western officials as claiming that Chinese companies supplied Russia with equipment that could reportedly have military applications, including parts for drones, radar, and fighter jets.

“The report is accurate and it shows China is escalating its role, both quantitatively and qualitatively,” the diplomat told Politico, claiming that the conflict “would look very different right now” without China’s alleged support.

Earlier this month, Beijing denied similar allegations from US officials, telling the UN Security Council that Washington is playing a “meaningless blame game.” Chinese envoy Geng Shuang called the accusations “false” and “completely unacceptable.” He defended China’s economic ties with Russia, stressing that neither the US nor the EU has halted trade relations with Moscow.

The criticism came shortly after a group of US senators introduced legislation that would require the administration of President Donald Trump to target Chinese “entities and individuals” that have allegedly helped sustain the Russian defense industry amid international sanctions.

The US has also told the UN Security Council that China is “the most important supplier” to the Russian military.

Russia has never confirmed the existence of military-related imports from China. It has also condemned the Western sanctions as illegal and counterproductive, calling them a “double-edged sword.”

US says will withhold disaster funding to states boycotting Israel

By
IFP Media Wire
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) announced it was making nearly $1bn available to states to protect themselves from natural disasters, such as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and fires, as well as terrorist attacks and cyber disruptions.

This $1bn allocation, which will apply to 15 different grant programmes, is part of the “Notices of Funding Opportunity amounting to more than $2.2 billion available to state, local, tribal and territorial governments to help them protect American citizens”, Fema states on its website.

However, Reuters reported at least $1.9bn of this funding was conditional on states following Department of Homeland Security conditions laid out in April, saying states will not cut “commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies or companies doing business in or with Israel” to qualify, according to 11 agency grant notices it reviewed.

But the ruling is seen as largely symbolic. More than 30 US states already have laws that require “public entities to certify they do not and will not boycott Israel”, according to an essay titled “Anti-BDS laws and the politics of political boycotts” in the University of Pennsylvania’s Journal of Law and Social Change.

In recent months, calls for boycotts of Israeli and international companies that are doing business with Israel have increased. Recently, UN special rapporteur on Palestine Francesca Albanese called for action after publishing a scathing report in which she names over 60 companies, including major technology firms like Google, Amazon and Microsoft, alleging their involvement in what she calls “the transformation of Israel’s economy of occupation to an economy of genocide”.

Albanese was sanctioned by the US after she published the report.

It is the latest escalation of the Trump administration creating pushback on institutions, departments or states that do not fall in line with its goals and priorities, such as its hardline approach to immigration or issues such as climate change.

For example, Fema’s statement laid out that recipients will no longer be able to spend the funds “to house illegal immigrants at luxury hotels, fund climate change pet projects or empower radical organizations with unseemly ties that don’t serve the interest of the American people”.

The statement also added that recipients are required to spend at least 10 percent on “supporting border crisis response and enforcement”.

Rare footage captures Asiatic Cheetah, Persian Onager in same frame

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Persian leopard

The footage, likely recorded by trap cameras in Turan Biosphere Reserve, shows the onager moving at a steady pace with the cheetah trailing behind it at a distance.

In a second clip, the cheetah is seen drinking water from a conservation-built water source in Turan National Park, as the onager calmly approaches without showing signs of fear or distress.

The behavior of both animals, particularly the cheetah’s lack of predatory pursuit, has prompted discussions among wildlife experts.

Faramarz Esfandiari, a former head of Damghan’s Environmental Department, noted that Asiatic cheetahs are generally not capable of preying on adult Persian onagers due to their smaller size.

The Turan Biosphere Reserve is the most critical habitat for both species, which are classified as endangered. The reserve, established in the 1970s, is internationally recognized for its rich biodiversity and unique geology.

Experts emphasize that further behavioral analysis is needed to understand the interaction seen in the footage.

Tehran officials raise alarm over crimes by undocumented migrants

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

Abolfazl Nikookar said that in 2023 and 2024, theft ranked highest among criminal offenses involving foreigners in the capital.

Nikookar reported that there are approximately 450,000 authorized migrants, mainly from Afghanistan, and an estimated 112,000 unauthorized individuals currently residing in Tehran.

He warned that renting property to undocumented migrants is illegal and can result in serious consequences, including the closure of real estate offices and revocation of business licenses.

Efforts to address the issue include judicial coordination with other agencies, as well as public education campaigns.

In one initiative, nearly 96 million SMS messages were sent across the province warning against unlawful employment and housing of undocumented migrants.

Authorities cite the lack of identification documents and border control as major obstacles.

Nikookar emphasized that the presence of undocumented migrants has impacted various sectors including education, healthcare, and labor.

Under Iranian law, employing or housing unauthorized migrants is a criminal offense and violators may face legal prosecution.

Since the new administration took office last year, Iran has repatriated over a million illegal Afghan migrants to their homeland.

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