Sunday, January 18, 2026
type here...
Home Blog Page 528

Iran to continue talks with E3, will never accept ‘dishonorable’ negotiations: Govt. spokesperson

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Nuclear Talks in Vienna

“Negotiations with European countries will continue and everyone knows well that Iran will not accept negotiations that are dishonorable,” Mohajerani said in a post on her X account on Saturday.

Her post came a day after Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said experience has shown that negotiations with the US do not affect solving Iran’s problems.

“Some people pretend that if we sit at the negotiating table, some problem will be solved, but the fact that we must understand correctly is that negotiating with the US has no effect on solving the country’s problems,” the Leader stated on Friday.

The government spokesperson stressed that the country is currently in need of more unity and solidarity to solve problems.

Mohajerani added that the government is aware of all problems and its strategy is based on reinforcing national unity.

Earlier on Saturday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran will not back down due to the illegal Western-led sanctions and that it maintains a great potential to stand atop other states in the West Asia region.

Pezeshkian added that Iran’s enemies are mistaken to think that the country will starve to death under pressure.

President Pezeshkian says Resistance Front will definitely achieve ultimate victory

By
IFP Media Wire
-

Pezeshkian made the remark in a meeting with Hamas Shura Council chairman Muhammad Ismail Darwish, acting Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, and other members of the group’s political bureau in Tehran on Saturday.

He said Iran would continue to support the resistance front and the oppressed people of Palestine in the Gaza Strip.

He stressed the need to form an international coalition, particularly with the participation of Muslim countries, to help the people of Gaza and reconstruct the war-ravaged strip.

“Certainly, Muslim countries will be able to rebuild Gaza in cooperation with each other and to restore life to the Muslim people of this region,” Pezeshkian added.

He cherished the memory of all martyrs of the resistance front and expressed his congratulations on the valuable achievements made by Hamas and the oppressed and resilient people of Gaza in thwarting the Israeli regime’s goals despite the high number of martyrs.

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has resulted in the death of at least 62,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injury of 111,600 others since early October 2023.

A ceasefire deal went into effect in Gaza on January 19, halting Israel’s aggressive campaign against the coastal region.

The first 42-day phase of the ceasefire agreement calls for 33 Israeli captives and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners to be released.

So far, the agreement has held, but US President Donald Trump’s proposal to clear Gaza of its inhabitants and take over the territory is creating hiccups amid widespread denunciation around the world.

A member of the Hamas delegation said the recent claims by the United States and the Israeli regime regarding the future of Gaza have no value.

He added that the future of Gaza belongs to its people and emphasized that the besieged enclave will be managed through cooperation among the Palestinians.

He thanked the support of Iran and all the resistance groups for Hamas in the way of its victory against the Zionist enemy.

The Palestinian resistance is preparing for achieving the final stage of its battle against the Israeli regime, which is the liberation of Palestinian territory, he emphasized.

The Hamas official stated the resistance front defeated the Israeli regime not because of weapons but due to its firm determination to liberate the Palestinian land.

Israeli air attack kills six in Lebanon amid fragile ceasefire

By
IFP Media Wire
-

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that a drone targeted the Shaara area, near the town of Jennata, in the eastern Bekaa region on Saturday.

Since the ceasefire deal came into effect, Israel has continued military action against what it claims are Hezbollah sites.

While the agreement called for a 60-day implementation period ending on January 26, Israel delayed the withdrawal of its troops from southern Lebanon, claiming the accord had not been fully enforced by Lebanon.

Under the terms of the truce, the Lebanese army is to deploy alongside United Nations peacekeepers in the south, taking the place of Hezbollah forces.

Trump says has spoken to Putin about Ukraine war

By
IFP Media Wire
-

The US president, who has repeatedly vowed to swiftly end the Ukraine conflict, made the remarks in an interview with the paper aboard Air Force One on Friday, which was only published the next day. The NY Post, however, hasn’t provided any quotes from the alleged phone call in its interview with Trump.

When asked how many times he had been in contact with Putin, he noted “I’d better not say.” The US president told the paper that he believed his counterpart wanted a cessation of hostilities.

“He wants to see people stop dying,” Trump continued, adding, “All those dead people. Young, young, beautiful people. They’re like your kids, two million of them – and for no reason.”

It is unclear from what data he derived the exact figure, and what timeframe he was referring to.

According to the NY Post, he delivered the remarks while accompanied by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. While addressing him, he noted “Let’s get these meetings going. They want to meet. Every day people are dying,” the report said.

Trump has repeatedly stressed he wanted to meet with Putin to discuss the settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

Moscow has announced it is open to talks, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirming on Wednesday that Russia and the US have had contacts “between individual departments,” and that they have recently “intensified,” without providing further details.

The US president added that he “always had a good relationship with Putin,” asserting that if had been president in 2022, he would have prevented the Ukraine conflict altogether while blaming his predecessor Joe Biden for allowing hostilities.

While the US president has not publicly revealed his peace plan, it reportedly involves the freezing of the conflict along the current front line, establishing a demilitarized zone patrolled by European soldiers, and suspending Ukraine from joining NATO.

Russia has ruled out the freezing of the conflict, stressing that any potential settlement must recognize “territorial reality on the ground” and see Kiev commit to permanent neutrality, demilitarization and denazification.

Lebanon forms new government, first in over two years

By
IFP Media Wire
-

The presidency said on Saturday it accepted the resignation of the caretaker government and appointed Prime Minister Nawaf Salam‘s new cabinet of 24 ministers, the country’s first full-fledged government since 2022.

The cabinet is now charged with drafting a policy statement – a broad outline of the upcoming government’s approach and priorities – and will then need a vote of confidence from Lebanon’s parliament to be fully empowered.

Salam, a diplomat and former president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), promised to reform Lebanon’s judiciary, implement economic reforms and bring about stability.

Speaking to reporters at the presidential palace, he stated Lebanon would implement UN resolution 1701, which ended a previous war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006 and calls for the withdrawal of Hezbollah and other non-state armed actors from the area south of the Litani River, on the border with Israel.

Lebanon’s new government marks a shift away from leaders that are close to Hezbollah, as Beirut hopes to access reconstruction funds and investments after last year’s devastating war with Israel and to recover from a debilitating economic crisis that has gripped the country since 2019.

Though Hezbollah did not endorse Salam as prime minister, the Lebanese group did engage in negotiations with him over the Shia Muslim seats in government, as per Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system.

Former army chief Aoun – also a candidate not endorsed by Hezbollah and key allies – was elected president in early January, ending that position’s vacuum.

The announcement comes after US Deputy Middle East Envoy Morgan Ortagus on Friday demanded that Hezbollah be excluded from Lebanon’s government, stressing that Washington had made its continued presence in the cabinet a “red line”.

The US Embassy to Lebanon issued a statement on Saturday saying it welcomed the new government and hoped it would implement reforms and rebuild state institutions.

The United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, welcomed the announcement saying the end of the political impasse “heralds a new and brighter chapter for Lebanon”.

Nine days into major Iran cinematic event

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

Iranian MP: Iran will not negotiate with US

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Iran US Flags

Alaeddin Boroujerdi said this lack of trust in the US on part of Iran stems from a bitter historical experience. “We will pursue and advance our national interests away from the US”, Boroujerdi noted.

The member of the national security commission of the Iranian parliament also said it’s necessary for Iran to strengthen its relations with major countries such as China and Russia as well as its neighbors.

According to this top Iranian MP, the US does not respect collective agreements and imposes sanctions unilaterally. “It’s the US that must change its policies”, Boroujerdi added.

The Iranian lawmaker’s comments come a day after Iran’s leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei warned that any talks with the US will not be intelligent and honorable.

Lebanese presidency dismisses US envoy’s remarks on Hezbollah

By
IFP Media Wire
-

In a brief statement shared on social media, Aoun’s office dismissed Ortagus’s remarks, stating: “Some of what was said by the US deputy special envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus in Baabda [the presidential palace] only represents her own viewpoints, and the presidency is not concerned with it.”

Ortagus’s visit comes as Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam struggles to form a new cabinet, which is expected to include all major political factions.

Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal Movement, hold significant sway in Lebanon’s 128-seat Parliament, making their exclusion an unrealistic demand.

Hezbollah has also denounced remarks by Ortagus, who claimed that Washington would not allow the group to “terrorise the Lebanese people” or participate in the government.

In a statement, Hezbollah said her comments were inflammatory and an intrusion into Lebanon’s internal affairs, calling them a violation of the country’s sovereignty and a breach of diplomatic norms.

“What the Israeli occupier, which enjoys the support of American policy, is doing harms the credibility of the democracy the United States is pretending to be,” the group added.

Hamas, Israel launch fifth prisoner swap under Gaza ceasefire accord

By
IFP Media Wire
-

Hamas released three Israeli captives from Gaza on Saturday, with Israel freeing 183 Palestinian prisoners in return.

The freed Israelis – Eli Sharabi, 52, Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56 – were the latest to be released under the first stage of the ceasefire agreement.

They were handed over to members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) after being photographed on a stage in front of large crowds in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah.

Scores of masked Palestinian fighters monitored the area and ushered the three men on and off the stage before transferring them to Red Cross vehicles.

So far, 21 Israeli and Thai captives and 383 Palestinian detainees have been freed since the ceasefire began on 19 January.

Another 183 Palestinians were released on Saturday, according to Hamas.

Among them are 18 serving life sentences, 54 serving long-term sentences and 111 who were detained after 7 October 2023. They are all men aged between 20 and 61.

Senior Hamas figures are due to be among those released, including Jamal al-Tawil, a former mayor of the village of al-Bireh, near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

He has been in and out of Israeli detention over the past two decades and was mostly recently detained and held in administrative detention in 2021.

Seven of the Palestinians released on Saturday will be transferred to Egypt ahead of further deportation.

Israeli forces raided the homes of several Palestinian prisoners being released, the Palestinian Prisoners Media Office announced on Saturday. The raids took place across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

After an initial check at an Israeli army facility near the Gaza boundary, the three Israeli captives are expected to be transported to hospitals in central Israel.

Sharabi and Ben Ami were taken from the Be’eri kibbutz during the Hamas-led surprise attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in around 250 being taken captive in Gaza.

Sharabi’s wife and two teenage daughters were killed on 7 October. His brother Yossi was also taken captive during the attack, and his death has since been confirmed by Israeli authorities.

Ben Ami’s wife Raz was taken captive on 7 October and later freed as part of a temporary truce deal in November 2023.

Levy was taken captive from the Nova music festival in southern Israel. His wife Eva, 32, was killed by Palestinian fighters at the event.

The first stage of the truce deal involves the exchange of 33 Israeli captives for hundreds of Palestinian detainees, the return of internally displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza and the retreat of Israeli troops to a perimeter area.

The second stage, which was expected to begin 42 days after the beginning of the truce, would see all Israeli captives released in return for a total Israeli withdrawal from the besieged enclave.

That phase has yet to be discussed thoroughly, though a Hamas official stated on Tuesday that contact and negotiations for the second phase had begun – without providing further details.

The third stage of the ceasefire, if agreed, would involve a plan on the governance of post-war Gaza and a three- to five-year reconstruction project overseen by international actors.

US President Donald Trump told reporters this week that he could not confirm whether the ceasefire would hold.

In an explosive press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the US would “take over” the Gaza Strip and “own it”, forcibly displacing Palestinians from the enclave.

“If it’s necessary, we’ll do that; we’re going to take over that piece. We’re going to develop it, create thousands and thousands of jobs, and it’ll be something that the entire Middle East can be very proud of,” he said.

Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, noted that the third stage of the ceasefire, as things currently stood, could not be reached.

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Middle East Eye that Trump’s plans were “a crime against humanity and a of the law of the jungle at the international level”.

He stressed that Hamas considered Trump to be interfering “in a topic which should not be of his concern”.

Naim added that Hamas was committed to the ceasefire agreement but that “any manipulation in implementing the agreement may cause it to collapse”.

Ayat. Khamenei reiterates support for Palestinians, downplays US threats against Iran

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

In a meeting with the head and members of the Hamas Leadership Council on Saturday in Tehran, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “God Almighty has bestowed honor and victory upon you and the people of Gaza,” referencing a Quranic verse about small groups overcoming larger, more powerful ones through divine support.

He emphasized that the resistance had triumphed over the Israeli regime and, by extension, the US, preventing them from achieving their goals.

The Leader acknowledged the hardships endured by the people of Gaza over a year and a half of resistance, noting that their sacrifices ultimately led to the triumph of truth over falsehood. The people of Gaza have become a model for all who value resistance.

He reiterated Iran’s unwavering support for Palestine, describing it as a settled issue.

The Leader praised the negotiation efforts of Hamas, calling the achieved agreement significant. He highlighted the importance of cultural initiatives and continued media efforts alongside military and reconstruction activities in Gaza.

Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that faith is the primary weapon of the resistance front against its enemies, ensuring they do not feel weak.

The Leader expressed confidence that a day would come when the issue of Al-Quds would be resolved for the Islamic world, with Hamas leaders playing a proud role in this achievement.

Also regarding recent US threats against Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei asserted that they have no impact on the mindset of the Iranian people and officials.

1...527528529...5,148Page 528 of 5,148

© All Content by IFP News ( Iran Front Page ) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

About Us

Popular Articles

Editor Picks