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Three countries withdraw from Eurovision 2026 over Israel’s participation

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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According to reports, the three national broadcasters said they would not take part in next year’s competition, which is scheduled to be held in Vienna, after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed last week that Israel would be allowed to participate.

The EBU’s decision came despite objections from several European broadcasters calling for Israel’s removal over its crimes and aggression.

Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE said it would neither participate in nor air the contest or its semifinals.
The network expressed a “lack of confidence” in the EBU’s decision-making process and accused the organization of being influenced by “political pressure.”
Spain was among eight countries that had requested a confidential vote on Israel’s participation.

Dutch broadcaster Avrotros also announced its withdrawal, stating that taking part under the current circumstances was incompatible with its “public values” and organizational principles. Ireland later confirmed it would join the boycott for the same reason.

The EBU has so far declined to hold a vote on the issue and has maintained that Israel will remain in the lineup for Eurovision 2026.

Army Chief: Iran Armed Forces Stand Ready to Defend Islamic System at Any Cost

By
IFP Media Wire
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Speaking during a meeting with the head and members of the Iranian Parliament’s Budget and Planning Committee, Hatami pointed to the long-standing hostility of the United States and Israel toward the Islamic Republic.

He said that since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Washington and Tel Aviv have used every tool at their disposal against Iran, with their enmity growing deeper and more intense over the years.

Referring to the recent 12-day war, Hatami said Iran had been engaged in negotiations with the United States when Israel, backed by Washington, launched a brutal assault aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear, missile, and air-defense capabilities and targeting senior commanders.

He added that Israel also pursued the broader objective of toppling the Islamic Republic itself.

He stressed that Israel’s aggression failed due to the Supreme Leader’s decisive guidance in reorganizing military command, the sacrifice and strength of Iran’s armed forces, and the vigilance of the Iranian people — ultimately forcing Israel to request a ceasefire.

“We emerged victorious because the enemy failed to achieve its goals,” he said.

Hatami added that Iran has not wasted a single moment since the conflict in strengthening its defense capabilities, making continued military empowerment a top priority.

He thanked the Iranian people for their crucial role in safeguarding national security during the 12-day conflict, reaffirming: “In every situation, we will stand to the last breath in defense of the Islamic system.”

Iran Warns UN That Unilateral Sanctions Violate Intl. Law

By
IFP Media Wire
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These measures, he said, severely undermine human rights, especially the right to development.

Iravani noted that the General Assembly has repeatedly condemned such actions for harming global relations, trade, investment, and cooperation.

He warned that the growing use of these unlawful measures has caused significant economic damage and human suffering, depriving nations of basic rights and disproportionately affecting civilians, including women, children, and the elderly.

He stressed that unilateral sanctions obstruct access to medicine, medical supplies, and essential goods, with their humanitarian impact becoming even more evident during crises like the pandemic.

Such policies, he argued, create intolerable living conditions and amount to crimes against humanity.

Iravani said Iran will continue working to counter these measures and urged UN Secretary-General António Guterres to appoint a Special Advisor on Unilateral Coercive Measures.

Iran dismisses PGCC claim over Persian Gulf islands as unfounded

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Esmail Baghaei

Baqaei said Tehran regrets the council’s continued repetition of such unfounded claims.

Baqaei condemned the assertions contained in the final communiqué of the Council’s forty-sixth summit concerning these Iranian islands.

He emphasized that the Iranian islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb constitute inalienable parts of the territorial domain of Iran, and that any territorial claim thereto is fundamentally baseless and devoid of legal validity, and is manifestly incompatible with the principle of respect for the territorial integrity of States and with the precepts of good-neighborliness.

Baqaei recalled Iran’s effective, continuous, and uncontested sovereignty over these three islands throughout centuries.

He stated that the repetition of a baseless claim concerning a portion of a country’s territory does not alter geographical and historical realities, nor does it create any right for the claimant under international law.

The Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscored the Islamic Republic of Iran’s policy of good-neighborliness and cooperation with neighboring States for the strengthening of relations and safeguarding of regional security and stability.

He called upon the United Arab Emirates and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council to refrain from adopting provocative positions incompatible with good-neighborliness in relation to Iran.

Baqaei, emphasizing the pursuit of the rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Arash oil field, deemed unilateral claims regarding this field devoid of validity.

He stated that the issuance of repetitive statements and the advancement of unilateral claims create no right for the State of Kuwait from a legal standpoint, and that the attainment of a fair and sustainable agreement concerning this field requires bilateral dialogue, joint efforts, and the establishment of a positive and constructive environment for securing mutual interests.

Iran marks 20th anniv. of fallen media, army personnel

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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The event was attended by senior military commanders, government officials, families of the martyrs, and members of the public, who gathered to honor the individuals who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Participants paid tribute to the journalists, media workers, and Army personnel who sacrificed their lives while serving the country, reaffirming their legacy and the nation’s continued respect for their contributions.

More in pictures:

Six Iranian athletes ranked in world karate top ten

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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The 27th edition of the World Championships took place from December 6 to 10, where Iran’s national team earned three medals: a gold by Atousa Golshadnezhad, a silver by Saleh Abazari, and a bronze by Sara Bahmanyar.

Golshadnezhad, competing in the women’s –61 kg division, topped the world rankings with 4,995 points after winning the world title. Bahmanyar, who claimed bronze in the –50 kg category, moved up to second place in the global standings.

In the men’s +84 kg division, Abazari’s silver medal secured him the third position in the world ranking.

Three additional Iranian athletes who advanced to the quarterfinals or the round of 16 also made the top-ten list: Fatemeh Sa’adati rose to fourth place in the –55 kg category, Ali Maskani ranked fifth in the –60 kg division, and Fatemeh Sadeqi placed sixth in the women’s individual kata rankings.

Six Iranian athletes ranked in world karate top ten

Putin says Russia will “liberate” all of Donbass

By
IFP Media Wire
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Russia Ukraine War

Putin made the remarks in an interview with India Today on Thursday, ahead of his state visit to the country and two days after talks in the Kremlin with US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff which centered on an American-drafted peace plan for the Ukraine conflict.

The initial 28-point version of the roadmap leaked to the media last week reportedly asked Kiev to relinquish territory in the Russian Donbass regions of Donetsk and Lugansk still under its control, abandon its NATO ambitions, and limit the size of its military – conditions Kiev has rejected.

Putin, however, signaled that the Ukrainian Army will soon lose the parts of Donbass it still controls.

“It all comes to that. Either we will liberate those territories though military force, or Ukrainian forces will withdraw and stop fighting there,” he said.

He also suggested that the devastating fighting in the area was entirely avoidable.

“We told Ukraine from the start: ‘The people don’t want to stay with you, they took part in referendums [in 2022], voted for their independence; pull back your troops, and there will be no fighting’. But they chose to fight,” Putin continued, adding that Kiev’s mistake is now becoming obvious.

Russian forces have been gradually pushing back Ukrainian troops in Donbass and elsewhere for many months. According to Moscow, Kiev is increasingly struggling to replenish manpower losses despite draconian mobilization efforts.

On Monday, the Russian military reported that it had taken control over the key frontline city of Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) in the Donetsk region, with a major Ukrainian force encircled in the area. In another significant development, Putin reported last week that Moscow’s forces have broken Ukrainian defenses in the northern part of Zaporozhye Region, and are now bypassing Kiev’s heavily fortified defenses to the south.

 

IRGC says it issued warning to US warships in Iran’s southern waters

By
IFP Media Wire
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Iranian Navy

The warnings were delivered during the two-day naval exercise named after Mohammad Nazeri –commander of the elite commando units of the IRGC Navy who was martyred in 2016.

The ongoing war game covers maritime zones in the Persian Gulf, the Hormuz Strait, the Sea of Oman, and the Nazeat Islands –Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Siri.

According to reports from the exercise, the IRGC naval units have conveyed a clear message to the American warships present in the region.

A series of advanced air defense missile systems, including Navab, Majid, and Misaq, have been employed under electronic-warfare conditions.

The homegrown systems utilized artificial intelligence to detect aerial and maritime targets and strike them with high accuracy.

The war game is designed to display the IRGC Navy’s combat capabilities and the performance of new offensive and defensive systems in missile, drone, surveillance, and AI-based tracking operations.

The organizers say the drill carries a message of peace and friendship for neighboring countries while delivering a clear warning and decisive response to enemies, demonstrating that Iran’s course of resistance and deterrence continues with full force.

 

Israel’s conduct of war in Gaza ‘fundamentally wrong’: UN chief

By
IFP Media Wire
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Guterres made the comments in an interview with Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni at the news agency’s NEXT conference in New York.

“I think there was something fundamentally wrong in the way this operation was conducted with total neglect in relation to the deaths of civilians and to the destruction of Gaza,” Guterres said.

“The objective was to destroy Hamas. Gaza is destroyed, but Hamas is not yet destroyed. So there is something fundamentally wrong with the way this is conducted,” he added.

When asked if he believed Israeli forces may be guilty of carrying out war crimes since the conflict began more than two years ago, Guterres stated that “there are strong reasons to believe that that possibility might be a reality”.

In October 2024, then-Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, now the defence minister, declared Guterres “persona non grata”, accusing him of giving “backing to terrorists, rapists, and murderers” for failing to condemn Iran’s missile attack.

More than 70,000 people have died in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when Israeli forces launched an all-out assault in response to a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that saw more than 1,200 people killed and 251 taken captive.

A fragile United States-brokered ceasefire – a 20-point peace plan pushed by US President Donald Trump – has been in place since October 10. But Israeli forces have repeatedly violated the truce with strikes and demolitions, claiming to be targeting Hamas infrastructure in Gaza.

According to Gaza’s authorities, Israeli troops have violated the ceasefire at least 591 times since it came into effect, killing at least 360 Palestinians and wounding 922 others.

 

Gaza militia leader accused of working with Israel killed

By
IFP Media Wire
-

His militia, which calls itself the Popular Forces, said in a Facebook post on Thursday evening that Abu Shabab was shot “as he tried to resolve a dispute” among members of the Abu Suneima family.

The group added that he was not killed by Hamas.

Israel’s channel 12 had reported earlier that Abu Shabab was killed in clashes with “Gaza clans” and later pronounced dead at the Soroka Medical Center in southern Israel.

Abu Shabab became an infamous figure during Israel’s genocidal war on Palestinians in Gaza, as his group was accused of stealing the little humanitarian assistance that the Israeli authorities allowed into the coastal enclave.

The looting of aid in the Gaza Strip came as Israel imposed a blockade on the territory, fuelling a humanitarian crisis and famine in several areas.

Israeli officials later announced that they were cooperating with armed groups in Gaza, including the one led by Abu Shabab, in order to establish a local anti-Hamas force.

On Thursday, a Hamas-affiliated security force in Gaza, Radaa, posted a photo of Abu Shabab on Telegram, captioned: “As we told you, ‘Israel won’t protect you.’”

In July, a Hamas-linked court in Gaza gave Abu Shabab 10 days to turn himself in to face charges of treason, collaborating with hostile entities, forming an armed gang, and armed rebellion.

The gang leader was reported to have been previously jailed by Hamas on drug charges.

Experts have stated that the rise of Abu Shabab reflects a longstanding Israeli policy of supporting Palestinian armed groups in an effort to create internal strife and undermine political movements and resistance.

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