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Trump ‘caught off guard’ by Israeli attacks on Syria: White House

By
IFP Media Wire
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“He was caught off guard by the bombing in Syria and also the bombing of the Catholic church in Gaza,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Her remarks come after Middle East Eye first reported the US was “upset” by Israel’s targeting of Syrian forces entering the country’s south and the strikes on Syria’s ministry of defence and the outskirts of the presidential palace.

MEE also reported that Saudi Arabia was “angry” about Israel attacking Syrian soldiers and dictating military deployments to Damascus.

Sweida has been the site of sectarian violence between the majority Druze community and Sunni Bedouins. Israel has framed its military intervention as being in support of the Syrian Druze. Around 1,000 people have been killed in clashes between government forces, Bedouin and Druze fighters, including hundreds of civilians.

Current and former Arab, Israeli and US officials say Israel is trying to carve out a zone of influence in Syria that conflicts directly with the vision of a unitary post-war Syria put forward by Tom Barrack, Trump’s special envoy and ambassador to Turkey.

“I think Potus and others in the administration have been crystal clear about the path for Syria,” a US official in the region who was monitoring the Israeli strikes told MEE last week, referring to President Trump.

MEE reported on Friday that Saudi Arabia told the Trump administration that Syrian security forces should be able to deploy to Sweida. A fragile ceasefire struck late last week was holding on Monday amid reports of atrocities committed by both sides.

Israel’s strikes came as the US was trying to broker a normalisation of ties between Syria and Israel.

The Trump administration has heralded Syria as a model for its version of Middle East statecraft underwritten by Turkish military might and Gulf cash.

Trump announced in May that he was lifting all US sanctions on Syria despite objections from Israel and some of his own advisors.

Trump said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman were responsible for convincing him to make the decision.

Israeli military bombs WHO’s staff residence in Gaza

By
IFP Media Wire
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WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated Israeli air strikes struck the residence three times, igniting a fire which ripped through the premises.

“The Israeli military entered the premises, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot toward Al-Mawasi amid active conflict,” Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

He reported that male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated and screened at gunpoint, adding that two staff and two family members were detained.

Three have since been released, with one remaining in detention, while 32 WHO staff and family members were evacuated to the nearby WHO offices.

WHO’s main warehouse was also targeted, causing explosions and fires that damaged the facility, hamstringing the agency’s ability to support local hospitals and emergency teams.

Israeli artillery shelling pounded Deir al-Balah on Monday as the army pushed deeper into the southern and eastern parts of the city.

The escalation came hours after the army issued expulsion orders for large swathes of central Gaza, ordering some 50,000 and 80,000 people to leave immediately.

Shelling targeted densely populated areas, striking houses and mosques, and killing at least three Palestinians, according to medical sources.

The spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defence agency, Mahmud Bassal, told AFP that “we received calls from several families trapped in the Al-Baraka area of Deir al-Balah due to shelling by Israeli tanks”.

“There are a number of wounded, but no one can reach the area to evacuate them,” he added.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the latest order leaves 87.8 percent of Gaza’s area under “evacuation orders” or within Israeli militarised zones.

Tedros reported that several WHO premises have been impacted by the assault, compromising the agency’s ability to operate in Gaza, where the strained health system is facing imminent collapse.

“WHO urgently calls on member states to help ensure a sustained and regular flow of medical supplies into Gaza,” Tedros continued.

“A ceasefire is not just necessary, it is overdue,” he added.

War against Iran ‘not over’: Israel’s army chief

By
IFP Media Wire
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“Iran and its axis remain in our sights. The campaign against Iran is not over,” Zamir said during a military assessment meeting, as cited by an army statement.

He also stated that the war in the Gaza Strip “is one of the most complex the IDF (army) has ever known.”

“We are paying a heavy price in combat,” he said. “We will continue operating to achieve our objectives: the return of the hostages and the dismantling of Hamas,” Zamir added.

On June 13, Israel launched a blatant and unprovoked act of aggression against Iran, assassinating numerous high-ranking military commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary civilians.

More than a week later, the United States joined the conflict by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites, an action which constitutes a grave violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

In response, the Iranian Armed Forces targeted strategic sites across the occupied territories, as well as the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest US military base in West Asia.

On June 24, through successful retaliatory operations against both the Israeli regime and the US, Iran managed to halt the illegal assault.

Iran reports 1,062 deaths in Israeli invasion; even prison attack deemed war crime

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Mohajerani pointed out that among the casualties were 34 students, 5 educators, 6 doctors, 5 nurses, and 7 paramedics, with Tehran Province recording the highest toll with 265 deaths.

She stated that the attack on Evin Prison, northern Tehran, on June 23 has been recognized by international bodies as a war crime.

Mohajersni also highlighted damage to civilian infrastructure, including 36 schools across 16 provinces, 219 industrial units, 7 hospitals, 11 ambulances, and 8,000 residential units.

Also on Tuesday, Iran’s Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir confirmed that 75 inmates left Evin Prison during the attack, but emphasized it was not a “prison break.”

He said 48 have returned or been detained, while 27 remain unaccounted for. These individuals were described as low-risk offenders, with no spies or high-security prisoners among them.

Authorities have launched reconstruction efforts and are monitoring the situation closely. The government continues to coordinate with emergency services and humanitarian organizations to support affected civilians, he added.

Judiciary spokesperson: Tehran Friday Prayers leader Seddiqi has no role in relatives’ legal case

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Dismissing media reports, Jahangir told a press conference that Seddiqi has served solely as an advisor to the head of the Judiciary since 2013.

“He neither occupies an executive nor a judicial position and therefore has no capacity to influence any case, including matters involving his family,” he said.

The Iranian Judiciary announced last month that six individuals, including the son and daughter-in-law of the prominent cleric were arrested over financial charges.

The arrests came amid scrutiny over a high-profile land transfer case involving a 4,200-square-meter property in northern Tehran.

Regarding the ongoing case involving Seddiqi’s relatives, Jahangir confirmed that the case is still under investigation at the prosecutor’s office.

“Several individuals have been summoned, and some have been detained. The investigation is ongoing, and once preliminary findings are complete, details will be made public,” he stated.

Over 87% of Gaza Strip under Israeli military orders, militarized zones: UN

By
IFP Media Wire
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Citing Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news conference that “87.7% of the Gaza is now under displacement orders or within displacement zones, squeezing about 2.1 million people into a fragmented area of the strip where hardly any services are available.”

Emphasizing that more than 1.3 million people in Gaza are in need of shelter and household items, Dujarric stated: “Harsh weather, humidity, overcrowding and frequent disassembly, a reassembly of tents and tarpaulins lead to shorter lifespan of shelter items.”

He highlighted the “dire” situation in the enclave, where no shelter supplies have entered more than four months. “The fuel crisis continues.”

“The limited quantity that have been allowed to enter Gaza in recent days are hardly sufficient,” he said, adding that UN is prioritizing the use of available fuel for “most critical operations.”

Dujarric also emphasized the “deeply concerning reports of severely malnourished people who are arriving in medical points and hospitals in extremely poor health” amid ongoing Israeli attacks.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 86 people—including 76 children—have died from hunger and dehydration since October 2023. Gaza’s government media office warned the enclave is “on the brink of mass death” after over 140 days of a near-total closure of all crossings.

Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed nearly 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza. The relentless bombing has destroyed the enclave, nearly collapsed its health system, and created famine-like conditions.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 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 over its war on the enclave.

Iran’s ICT minister warns against ‘blind confrontation’ with technology amid network challenges

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Speaking during a parliamentary session on Tuesday amid reports of switching the country’s internet access to “national” or “tiered” system, Hashemi stated, “Can we really confront technology blindly?”

He emphasized that restrictions alone cannot prevent access to content, particularly as young people continue to bypass filters using free VPNs.

Hashemi cited the use of unregulated VPNs as a major cause of network contamination, confirming that up to 30% of user requests now fail due to degraded quality.

Addressing the recent 12-day conflict with Israel, the minister said maintaining digital connectivity was crucial for public calm and business continuity.

He stressed that a core element of the national information network is global connectivity, balanced with national sovereignty and security.

He, however, reported that cyberattacks intensified during the war, with over 20,000 attempted intrusions from abroad, and noted that Iran’s digital economy, on which 10 million Iranians depend, sustained nearly 15 trillion rials ($300 million) in losses, with a 30% drop in employment in the sector.

US can’t ‘compel’ Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon: Trump envoy

By
IFP Media Wire
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“America is not here to compel Israel to do anything,” Barrack told reporters on Monday.

“We are here to use our influence to bring calm minds together… America can only influence… we are not going to have more boots on the ground.”

The 78-year-old billionaire, who officially serves as US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, has been shuttling across the Middle East as Israel continues to launch wars on several fronts.

Despite the Lebanese movement Hezbollah agreeing to a ceasefire with Israel in November, Israel has continued to strike the group and occupy five strategic border “points” in the country’s south.

For months, Lebanon has been asking the US to help secure a full Israeli withdrawal and an end to air strikes, in return for Hezbollah handing over its weapons.

But on Monday, Barrack told reporters that the US was not going to force Hezbollah to disarm, or sanction the country if progress is not achieved.

“There’s no consequence, there’s no threat, there’s no whip,” he added.

The former real estate mogul and close Trump advisor, who lived in Beirut during the 1970s and enjoys close ties to Persian Gulf rulers, has said the US president’s promise of economic gain for the region is enough motivation.

“I honestly think that they are going to say ‘the world will pass us by.’ Why? You have Israel on one side, you have Iran on the other, and now you have Syria manifesting itself so quickly that if Lebanon doesn’t move, it’s going to be Bilad al-Sham again,” Barrack stated earlier this month, using the name for the historic region of Syria that once comprised Lebanon.

Since taking office, Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun has said Beirut is moving to disarm the powerful movement in exchange for a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon and an end to Israeli air strikes.

His government has reduced its sway in parts of the south as well as its hold over Beirut’s port and airport, but US officials have been asking for swifter and broader action.

The Lebanese Armed Forces, the country’s non-sectarian military, has moved into positions Israel has evacuated in southern Lebanon and where Hezbollah has withdrawn from – mainly south of the Litani River.

For its part, Hezbollah insists its arms are necessary because Israel continues to occupy Lebanese territory.

In an interview with reporters in New York earlier this month, Barrack noted the US was not concerned with Hezbollah’s small arms, but larger systems like missiles and rockets.

“Everybody in Lebanon is packing a 357 Magnum. I mean, it’s like having a belt. So we’re not talking about small arms. We’re talking about the weapons that could affect Israel,” he added.

And on 11 July, Barrack told reporters that the US only had “issues with” Hezbollah’s armed wing, not its political party, Amal, which represents most of Lebanon’s Shia Muslims in parliament.

At the beginning of the year, the US dangled reconstruction funds from Saudi Arabia to Lebanese lawmakers to lobby for them to vote in favour of former Lebanese army chief Aoun as president.

Those funds have not materialised, with US officials insisting on a full dismantlement of Hezbollah’s heavy arms arsenal.

Barrack said Persia Gulf states “are ready to provide [funding]” once Hezbollah is disarmed.

“Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and now the UAE are coming in and saying, ‘If we can get to where everybody can just calm down, we will help redevelop that portion of Lebanon,’ which is huge.”

Azerbaijan president accuses EU observers in Armenia of spying on Iran

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
President Ilham Aliyev

Aliyev claimed the observers patrol the Iran-Armenia border and conduct surveillance under the guise of monitoring, while Azerbaijan also keeps them under close watch.

Aliyev’s remarks came in response to questions about a reported US proposal to lease the Zangezur corridor, an idea he dismissed, reiterating that no foreign operators or companies would be allowed on Azerbaijani soil.

He further stressed that Armenia’s actions along the border are beyond his control and sharply criticized the EU mission’s presence.

In a wide-ranging press briefing, Aliyev also took aim at Russia, threatening legal action over the downing of an Azerbaijani aircraft.

He expressed frustration over a lack of response from Moscow, claiming the incident was deliberate and demanding accountability and reparations.

Turning to energy policy, he emphasized Azerbaijan’s neutral stance, stating the country’s gas exports to Europe are purely commercial and not intended to rival Russian energy supplies, despite plans to boost output by 2030.

Iranian daily warns against underestimating sanctions snapback mechanism

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran Nuclear Program

The editorial draws parallels to former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s dismissal of UN sanctions as mere “pieces of paper,” arguing that such attitudes led to long-term consequences for the nation.

The snapback mechanism enables the reactivation of six UN Security Council resolutions against Iran if the country fails to comply with enrichment limits outlined in the JCPOA.

The newspaper noted deep divisions in Iran over the gravity of this mechanism, noting, while some officials consider it a “gun without bullets,” others warn it functions as a “powerful artillery” with serious consequences.

It further stressed the mechanism’s legal strength under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, enabling broad military and economic measures.

With Russia and China unable to veto its reactivation, and both having previously supported these resolutions, the editorial urged Iran to actively pursue diplomacy with the European JCPOA members, namely France, Britain and Germany.

Given Europe’s current focus on the Ukraine conflict, the paper believes a window remains for Iran to prevent activation through strategic engagement.

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