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Iran must act swiftly to prevent snapback mechanism, says former diplomat

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Nuclear Talks in Vienna

In an interview with Fararu, Abdolreza Faraji-Rad, Iran’s former envoy to Norway and Hungary, stressed that diplomacy must also involve Russia and China, which, despite lacking veto power under UN Security Council Resolution 2231, can still influence outcomes through active engagement.

Faraji-Rad dismissed US President Donald Trump’s recent claim that “there is no rush to negotiate,” describing it as political posturing.

He asserted that Trump is, in fact, pursuing direct talks via intermediaries like Steve Withekoff, hoping for a political win before elections.

He warned that if the snapback is triggered, Iran could exit the NPT and limit IAEA oversight, a move that would raise regional tensions and alarm European powers.

He argued that activating the mechanism is legally questionable, given that the US withdrew from the deal first.

Faraji-Rad concluded that Iran should not frame its diplomacy as a choice between the US and Europe. Instead, it should quietly pursue balanced talks with both sides to avoid isolation and increased international pressure.

Several countries vow to take ‘concrete’ steps against Israel at Bogota summit

By
IFP Media Wire
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The announcement came as part of an “emergency summit” in the Colombian capital, co-hosted by the governments of Colombia and South Africa as co-chairs of The Hague Group, to coordinate diplomatic and legal action to counter what they describe as “a climate of impunity” enabled by Israel and its powerful allies.

The Hague Group is currently a bloc of eight states, launched on 31 January in the eponymous Dutch city, with the stated goal of holding Israel accountable under international law.

The conference brought together more than 30 states, including Algeria; Bolivia; Botswana; Brazil; Chile; China; Cuba; Djibouti; Honduras; Indonesia; Iraq; Ireland; Lebanon; Libya; Malaysia; Mexico; Namibia; Nicaragua; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Palestine; Portugal; Spain; Qatar; Turkey; Slovenia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Uruguay; and Venezuela.

“We came to Bogota to make history – and we did,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro said, adding, “Together, we have begun the work of ending the era of impunity. These measures show that we will no longer allow international law to be treated as optional, or Palestinian life as disposable.”

“In the deliberations at the Bogota conference, all 30 participating states unanimously agreed that the era of impunity must end – and that international law must be enforced without fear or favour through immediate domestic policies and legislation – along with a unified call for an immediate ceasefire,” the Hague Group announced in a statement.

To kickstart that process, the group said that 12 states from across the world – Bolivia; Colombia; Cuba; Indonesia; Iraq; Libya; Malaysia; Namibia; Nicaragua; Oman; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and South Africa – have committed to implementing the six measures immediately through their domestic legal and administrative systems.

The measures seek to “break the ties of complicity with Israel’s campaign of devastation in Palestine”, the group added.

A date has been set for 20 September 2025, coinciding with the 80th UN General Assembly, for additional states to join them in adopting the measures, the statement read.

“Consultations with capitals across the world are now ongoing.”

The six measures are as follows:

1. Prevent the provision or transfer of arms, munitions, military fuel, related military equipment, and dual-use items to Israel.

2. Prevent the transit, docking, and servicing of vessels at any port…. in all cases where there is a clear risk of the vessel being used to carry arms, munitions, military fuel, related military equipment, and dual-use items to Israel.

3. Prevent the carriage of arms, munitions, military fuel, related military equipment, and dual-use items to Israel on vessels bearing our flag… and ensure full accountability, including de-flagging, for non-compliance with this prohibition.

4. Commence an urgent review of all public contracts, to prevent public institutions and funds from supporting Israel’s illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territory and entrenching its unlawful presence.

5. Comply with obligations to ensure accountability for the most serious crimes under international law, through robust, impartial and independent investigations and prosecutions at national or international levels, to ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes.

6. Support universal jurisdiction mandates, as and where applicable in national legal frameworks and judiciaries, to ensure justice for victims of international crimes committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

In her closing speech, Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, said: “These aren’t just measures but are lifelines for a people who are under relentless assault and a world that has been paralysed for too long.”

“These 12 states have taken a momentous step forward,” Albanese added.

“The clock is now ticking for states, from Europe to the Arab world and beyond, to join them.”

The conference agreed to set a deadline for states’ final decisions by September 2025, in line with the 12-month timeframe mandated by UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/ES-10/24, adopted on 18 September 2024.

That resolution called on all states to take effective action on Israel’s violations of international law, including accountability, sanctions, and cessation of support, within one year of adoption.

“What we have achieved here is a collective affirmation that no state is above the law,” said South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola.

“The Hague Group was born to advance international law in an era of impunity. The measures adopted in Bogotá show that we are serious, and that coordinated state action is possible.”

Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, the executive secretary of The Hague Group, announced: “This conference marks a turning point, not just for Palestine, but for the future of the international system.

“For decades, states, particularly in the Global South, have borne the cost of a broken international system. In Bogotá, they came together to reclaim it, not with words, but with actions,” Gandikota-Nellutla added.

Israel’s war on Gaza, increasingly condemned by experts and governments as a genocide, has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians and displaced almost the entire population since October 2023.

The onslaught has left the Palestinian enclave barely habitable and around two million on the brink of starvation.

Iran’s airports resume 24-hour operations following conflict with Israel, except Mehrabad

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Iran Airport

According to a CAO statement on Thursday, the decision follows a detailed security and safety review amid the current national situation.

While flight services have returned to regular schedules across the country, training and recreational flights remain suspended until further notice, it said.

The organization urged passengers to avoid going directly to airports and instead coordinate with airlines and purchase tickets in advance. It emphasized that this approach is part of a gradual return to normal flight operations.

The CAO noted that some unauthorized websites and online channels are exploiting the situation by selling counterfeit tickets at inflated prices.

Iran grounded all flights across the country after Israel struck airports among other civilian targets in its aggression last month.

Syrian president vows to protect Druze, slams Israeli attacks on Damascus

By
IFP Media Wire
-

The Syrian leader made the statements in a televised speech on Thursday, addressing days of fierce clashes between Druze armed groups, Bedouin tribes and government forces in the predominantly Druze city of Suwayda.

Israel, which sees the Druze as an ally, launched a series of powerful strikes near Syria’s presidential palace and on the military headquarters in the heart of Damascus on Wednesday, warning Syria it would escalate further if it did not withdraw from the south and halt attacks against the Druze community.

“We are keen on holding accountable those who transgressed and abused our Druze people, as they are under the protection and responsibility of the state,” Sharaa said in the speech, describing the minority as “a fundamental part of the fabric of this nation.”

“We affirm that protecting your rights and freedoms is among our top priorities,” he continued, adding, “We reject any attempt foreign or domestic to sow division within our ranks.”

Al-Sharaa stated that “responsibility” for security in the violence plagued would be handed to religious elders and some local factions “based on the supreme national interest”.

At least 169 people have been killed in the violence in southern Syria in recent days, local sources tell Al Jazeera, while UK-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says that more than 360 people have been killed.

The remarks came after the Syrian government and Druze leader Sheikh Yousef Jarbou announced a new ceasefire in the city, and said the army had begun withdrawing from Suwayda. Dozens of Syrian military vehicles were seen leaving the city overnight.

One Druze leader, Sheikh Jarbou, stated that he agreed to the ceasefire deal and has spoke out against the Israeli strikes on Syria, telling Al Jazeera Arabic that “any attack on the Syrian state is an attack on the Druze community”.

But another influential Druze leader in the city, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari, noted he rejected the ceasefire and had promised to continue fighting until Suwayda was “entirely liberated”.

In his speech, al-Sharaa called for national unity, saying that “the building of a new Syria requires all of us to stand united behind our state, to commit to its principles, and to place the interest of the nation above any personal or limited interest.”

Addressing the Druze community, he stressed that the government rejected “any attempt to drag you into the hands of an external party”, in a pointed reference to Israel’s deadly intervention in the conflict.

“The Israeli entity, which has consistently targeted our stability and sowed discord since the fall of the former regime, now seeks once again to turn our sacred land into a theatre of endless chaos,” he continued.

“We are not among those who fear the war. We have spent our lives facing challenges and defending our people, but we have put the interests of the Syrians before chaos and destruction.”

He added that Israel’s extensive strikes, including those that killed three people and injured 34 in Damascus on Wednesday, could have pushed “matters to a large-scale escalation, if it were not for the intervention of US, Turkish and Arab mediators “which saved the region from an unknown fate”.

The US, which has softened its stance towards Syria and is attempting to re-engage and support the country’s reconstruction after more than a decade of conflict, has been eager to de-escalate the conflict, which State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce called “a misunderstanding between new neighbours”. The US called on Syria on Wednesday to withdraw its troops from the southern border area in order to de-escalate tensions.

The escalation in Syria began with tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks between Druze armed factions and local Sunni Bedouin tribes in Suwayda province.

Government forces that intervened to restore order clashed with the Druze, with reports of Syrian troops committing abuses, according to local monitors and analysts.

The actions committed by members of the security forces – acknowledged as “unlawful criminal acts” by the Syrian presidency – have given Israel a pretext to bombard Syria as it builds military bases in the demilitarised buffer zone with Syria seized by its forces.

Clashes previously broke out between government troops and Druze fighters in April and May, killing dozens. Local leaders and religious figures responded by signing agreements to contain the escalation, and better integrate Druze fighters into the new Syrian administration.

The Druze developed their own militias during the nearly 14-year ruinous war. Since al-Assad’s fall, Druze factions have been operating with a degree of autonomy in Suwayda and surrounding areas.

Israel has been attempting to expand its control in southern Syria since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December, and has repeatedly bombed the country this year.

Amid the fighting in Suwayda, Israel has demanded the Syrian troop withdraw to create a demilitarised zone in southern Syria, and have been moving ground forces deeper into the occupied Golan Heights, effectively expanding its illegal occupation.

Iran refutes US’ accusations concerning insecurity, instability in Red Sea

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Amir Saeed Iravani

In a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and President of the UN Security Council Asim Iftikhar Ahmad on July 16, Saeed Iravani hit back at the US for deflecting attention from its own destabilizing actions, including its military involvement in Yemen and support for Israel’s aggression in Yemen and the entire region.

What follows is the full text of his letter:

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Excellency,

I categorically reject the baseless allegations once again made against the Islamic Republic of Iran by the representative of the United States during the Security Council meetings held on 9 July 2025 (9954th meeting) and 15 July 2025 (9958th meeting), under the agenda items “The Situation in the Middle East” and “Maintenance of International Peace and Security,” respectively.

The claim that Iran violates Security Council resolution 2216 (2015) is entirely unfounded, unsubstantiated, and devoid of credible evidence. Iran remains fully committed to its international obligations and relevant Security Council resolutions and continues to support a peaceful, inclusive, and Yemeni-led political process.

It is deeply regrettable that the United States abuses the Security Council platform to deflect attention from its own destabilizing actions, including its military involvement in Yemen and support for Israel’s aggression in Yemen and the entire region.

For nearly a decade, the people of Yemen have suffered the consequences of a devastating war and unlawful blockade imposed by a coalition backed by the United States, resulting in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. These violations of international humanitarian law continue with impunity.

The Security Council must not allow the United States’ propaganda to obscure the ongoing Israeli atrocious crimes in Gaza and the region and the root cause of the current situation in the Red Sea. Lasting peace in the region requires addressing the root causes of instability, chief among them, Israel’s illegal occupation, aggression, and systematic violations of international law and Security Council resolutions.

I would be grateful if you would circulate the present letter as a document for the Security Council.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Kayhan urges Iran’s parliament to approve NPT withdrawal to counter snapback threat

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Iranian Parliament

The piece, published on Thursday, argues that such a move would send a “clear and proactive” message to European nations contemplating the restoration of UN sanctions.

The snapback mechanism, outlined in Article 37 of the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) and UN Security Council Resolution 2231, allows any participant to unilaterally trigger the reimposition of international sanctions if Iran is found to be non-compliant. This process is not subject to veto and could lead to the automatic return of all pre-2015 sanctions within 30 days.

Kayhan warns that a passive response would only embolden Europe, which may perceive there is no cost to reactivating sanctions.
Instead, it recommends that the Iranian Parliament pass a law that obliges the government to exit the NPT and halt all voluntary cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) if snapback is triggered.

Former Iranian ambassador: U.S. talks ‘futile’, Lariijani suitable negotiator for west

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran US Flags

In an interview with Khabar Online, Ghadiri Abyaneh stated that while negotiations, even during wartime, are sometimes necessary, any talks with the U.S. should be ruled out due to “repeated betrayals,” including Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA).

He criticized the current Iranian foreign policy team and proposed that any future negotiations with European countries should be conducted “from a position of strength and equality,” not weakness.

Abyaneh suggested Mohammad-Javad Larijani, a conservative political figure, as a suitable candidate to lead future negotiations with Europe, emphasizing the need for “strong, principled, and fearless” negotiators.

He warned that the West’s ultimate aim is not to contain Iran’s nuclear program, but to weaken the country’s defense capabilities and sovereignty. “America wants to dismantle Iran,” he said, saying Western powers are seeking to divide the country and exploit its resources.

The Iranian government has condemned the U.S. for its ‘betrayal of diplomacy’ in attacking the Natanz nuclear site near Isfahan during ongoing talks, and is demanding assurances from Washington that such actions will not be repeated as a condition for resuming negotiations.

Isfahan International Airport reopens after 34-day closure

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

In a statement issued by the organization, it was confirmed that the airport has been cleared for operations following thorough on-site inspections and comprehensive evaluations of its technical, operational, and security conditions.

The reopening comes after a 34-day suspension of all flights over safety concerns.

Authorities stated that all flight restrictions have now been lifted and key infrastructure has been fully prepared to support full-scale operations.

The first flight is scheduled to land on Friday morning and the airport will return to normal, offering round-the-clock services to passengers and airlines as before.

Central Bank says Iran’s economy grew by 3.1% in year to late March

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Iran Bazaar

CBI’s initial economic growth figures released on Wednesday showed that Iran’s gross domestic product (GDP) had increased to 78,443.8 trillion rials (over $301 billion) in the year to March 20.

The CBI considers fixed prices from early 2022, when the US dollar was worth 260,000 rials, for its calculation of the GDP. That comes as the current free market price of the US dollar is 880,000 rials.

The lender, whose economic growth estimates are slightly higher than those announced by Iran’s statistics agency SCI, said the Iranian economy had expanded by 3.7% in the last calendar year, considering free-market prices. It had put Iran’s economic growth at 5.0% in the year to late March 2024.

CBI figures showed that the non-oil sector of the Iranian economy had also expanded by 3.0% in the past calendar year.

The data showed that Iran’s GDP had reached 18,412.5 trillion rials in the quarter to late March, up 3.2% from the quarter to late December 2024.

They showed that the oil and gas sector had been the best performer of the Iranian economy in the past calendar year, with a GDP growth of 4.6%, followed by the services sector at 3.9%.

Iran has reported consecutive quarters of economic growth since the second half of 2020, when the country began to recover from the economic impacts of the US sanctions on its oil exports.

Experts believe rising oil exports and a robust economic diversification program have contributed to the expansion of the Iranian economy in recent years despite the continued pressure of the US sanctions on the country.

Second Israeli ultra-Orthodox party to leave government in blow to Netanyahu

By
IFP Media Wire
-

The ultra-Orthodox Shas party announced on Wednesday that it was leaving the cabinet in protest against lawmakers’ failure to guarantee future exemption from military conscription for religious students.

“Shas representatives … find with a heavy heart that they cannot stay in the government and be a part of it,” said the group in a statement.

It was not immediately clear whether the decision would leave Netanyahu with a minority in parliament. Without Shas, Netanyahu’s coalition would have 50 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.

Shas, which has long served as a kingmaker in Israeli politics, noted it would not work to undermine the government once outside it and could vote with it on some laws. It also added it would not support its collapse.

The departure of Shas from the government comes one day after another ultra-Orthodox party, United Torah Judaism (UTJ), resigned from the government over the same issue, which has prompted an explosive debate in Israel after more than 21 months of war with Hamas in Gaza.

While ultra-Orthodox seminary students have long been exempt from mandatory military service, many Israelis are angered by what they see as an unfair burden carried by other groups who serve.

The moves by Shas and UTJ come just before the Israeli parliament starts a three-month recess on July 27, giving the prime minister several months of little to no legislative activity to bring the parties back into the fold.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish leaders say full-time devotion to holy scriptures study is sacrosanct and fear their young men will turn away from religious life if they are drafted into the military.

Last year, the Supreme Court ordered an end to the exemption. The parliament has been trying to work out a new conscription bill, which has so far failed to meet the demands of both Shas and UTJ.

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