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Gaza death toll surges past 59,000 as Israel continues war on Palestinians

A ministry statement said that 134 bodies were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours, while 1,155 people were injured, taking the number of injuries to 142,135 in the Israeli onslaught.

“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

The ministry also noted that 99 Palestinians were killed and over 650 injured while trying to get humanitarian aid in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed while seeking aid to 1,021, with over 6,511 others wounded since May 27.

The Israeli army resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip on March 18 and has since killed 8,196 people and injured 30,094 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’s Lake Urmia on brink of total desiccation

Lake Urmia

The warning was issued by Director General of Environmental Protection in West Azarbaijan Province Hojjat Jabbari.

Speaking on Monday, Jabbari confirmed that satellite images and local reports show the northern half of the lake is nearly dry, with only a thin layer of water, just four to five centimeters deep, is covering an area of about 100 square kilometers.

“This thin layer of water will disappear within a week”, Jabbari said.

He added that from an ecological perspective, the area can already be considered dry. The lake’s southern basin, which currently holds about 600 to 700 square kilometers of water at a depth of 15 to 20 centimeters, is also expected to dry completely by the end of summer.

According to the official, autumn rainfall will not significantly improve the situation, as most seasonal precipitation occurs during winter and spring.

“The lake has essentially become seasonal since around 2011…without a substantial change in water management, it will only retain water in wet seasons and dry up in summer”, Jabbari said.

Experts warn that complete drying of Lake Urmia will have severe environmental, health, and socio-economic consequences for West and East Azarbaijan Provinces.

Iran prioritizes strengthening defense capabilities and post-war recovery

Iran Air Defense System

Pourmohammadi noted that relevant meetings are underway to expedite these efforts and ensure that the armed forces can operate effectively.

Responding to questions about the government’s plans following the 12-day war, Pourmohammadi said strengthening national defense is the foremost priority for the entire system, with coordinated efforts between the government, parliament, and the judiciary.

He also referred to the efforts during the war to support the armed forces and first responders during the recent war, noting that in the early days, the Red Crescent and emergency services received necessary resources.

Given that several provinces were affected by the conflict, funds were allocated to help local authorities provide better services to citizens.

Pourmohammadi added that with coordination from the Armed Forces General Staff, the Plan and Budget Organization has efficiently managed logistical support for the military.

Iran to host three-way talks with Russia and China amid efforts to prevent snapback sanctions

Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran is in continuous consultations with these two countries to prevent the activation of the snapback mechanism, aimed at reimposing inti-Iran sanctions, or at least mitigate its consequences.

Responding to a question about how much Iran can rely on Russia and China if the snapback threat materializes, Baqaei noted that both countries are parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal known as JCPOA and are also permanent members of the UN Security Council, which gives them influential roles in any process of the top world body.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman added that Iran shares aligned positions with Moscow and Beijing and enjoys strong relations with both nations.

Baqaei further said that from legal, ethical, and political perspectives, there is no valid basis to reinstate the sanctions lifted under the JCPOA.

Iran leader’s advisor: National unity requires tangible change and public satisfaction

Ali-Akbar Velayati

Echoing Ayatollah Khamenei’s repeated calls for cohesion, Velayati suggested that true unity may require adjustments in the government’s social approach, with a stronger focus on the people’s satisfaction in ways they can tangibly feel.

“The people have proven themselves,” he said, “and now it is the officials’ turn”.

Velayati also noted that outdated governance methods are no longer effective for the purpose of addressing the needs of the post-war society.

More Mossad-linked agents captured in Iran

Iran Police

The public and revolutionary prosecutor of North Khorasan, Javad Ilali, said on Monday that the judicial system in the province is firmly determined to take decisive action against the criminals engaged in espionage activities.

He added that 15 individuals are being prosecuted in the province on charges of spreading lies and propaganda against Iran during the recent 12 days of Israeli-US aggression.

Late last month, three men convicted of collaborating with Mossad and smuggling bombs and demolition charges into Iran to assassinate distinguished Iranian figures were executed.

Iran has arrested hundreds of operatives affiliated with Mossad across the country in recent weeks.

Security forces have also dismantled many underground drone facilities operated by Mossad agents.

The arrested suspects are accused of planning to use attack drones, building bombs, spying on military sites, and transmitting sensitive information to the Israeli regime.

Israel seeking to fund tour for MAGA and pro-Trump influencers: Report

The daily on Sunday reported that the planned tour will feature 16 influencers, all under the age of 30, who support US President Donald Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) and America First campaigns.

The influencers each have hundreds of thousands to millions of followers. They will be flown in to counter what the Israeli government sees as declining support for Israel among young Americans, the report said, without citing any date.

“With the rise of the America First movement and MAGA in American politics, it’s essential for Israel that the movement adopt a pro-Israel position,” Yacov Livne, senior deputy director of the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s Department of Public Diplomacy, was quoted as saying in the report.

The Israeli foreign ministry aims to bring 550 influencer delegations to Israel by the end of the year through such tours, it added.

“[While] older Republicans and American conservatives still hold pro-Israel views, positive perspectives towards Israel are falling across all younger age groups,” it noted, according to the report.

The influencers will be pushed to share messaging that aligns with Israeli policy regarding the Palestinians. “We are working with influencers, sometimes with delegations of influencers,” an unnamed source from the ministry told Haaretz.

“Their networks have huge followings and their messages are more effective than if they came directly from the ministry.”

The tour will be carried out through an organisation called Israel365, which is in a “unique position to convey a pro-Israel stance that aligns entirely with the MAGA and America First agenda”, Haaretz quoted the foreign ministry as saying.

Israel365 promotes support for Israel, specifically among Christians, based on biblical principles. Its website says the group “stands unapologetically for the Jewish people’s God-given right to the entire Land of Israel”.

The organisation also rejects a two‑state solution as a “delusion” and describes its mission as defending “Western civilization against threats from both Progressive Left extremism and global jihad”.

The ministry said it has struck a 290,000-shekel ($86,000) deal to carry out the tour, Haaretz reported.

Since the war on Gaza began in October 2023, Israel365 “deepened ties with MAGA and America First movements, appearing at their major events and helping recruit prominent conservative figures to visit Israel”, the report added.

Starvation kills 86 Gazans, including 76 children, since start of war: Health Ministry

Gaza

“Famine has killed 86 people in Gaza, including 76 children, as a result of starvation and malnutrition,” the ministry said in a statement.

It described the crisis as a “silent massacre” unfolding in the blockaded territory and held both Israel and the international community responsible for the worsening humanitarian conditions in the enclave.

The ministry noted that 18 people had starved to death in Gaza in the last 24 hours, calling for the immediate reopening of Gaza’s border crossings to allow the entry of food and medicine.

Israel has sealed all crossings with Gaza since March 2, effectively cutting off access to humanitarian aid and accelerating the spread of famine.

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

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.

Analyst says Israel unlikely to strike Iran again, citing failed strategy in Syria

In an interview with Shargh Daily, he described the 12-day military aggression in June as a targeted operation aimed at undermining Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities, rather than a full-scale war.

Zibakalam emphasized that Israel’s airstrikes, missile attacks, and drone operations focused on specific objectives inside Iran, resulting in the loss of several commanders and nuclear scientists.

Iran responded with missile strikes on the Israeli-occupied territory and targeted a US base in Qatar following attacks on nuclear sites in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.

He also argued that Israel’s subsequent military actions in Syria failed to yield strategic gains and may have backfired, triggering regional backlash and highlighting the limits of force as a tool of influence.
Zibakalam suggested that armed Syrian factions could eventually pose a threat to Israel itself.

In light of heavy costs and growing international condemnation, particularly over the Gaza conflict, Zibakalam concluded that both Iran and Israel currently lack interest in reigniting hostilities.

Iran says European trio has lost legal standing in nuclear deal

Abbas Araghchi

In a letter to the UN Secretary‑General António Guterres, the Security Council presidency and EU foreign‑policy chief Kaja Kallas, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said the three countries had forfeited their status by giving political and material support to the unlawful aggression.

Any European bid to reactivate sanctions rescinded by Resolution 2231 is therefore “null and void,” he wrote.

Araghchi noted that after the United States quit the nuclear accord, JCPOA, in 2018, Iran first used the accord’s dispute mechanism and later adopted remedial nuclear steps allowed under Paragraph 36 of the deal.

The E3, he argued, ignored their own commitments and aligned with US pressure, culminating in backing the latest strikes.

“The E3 cannot and should not be allowed to undermine the credibility of the UN Security Council by abusing a Resolution to which they themselves have not been committed,” Araghchi said, asserting that Iran can defeat “dirty work” yet remains open to genuine diplomacy.