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US negotiating with Taliban over prisoner swap: WSJ

By
IFP Media Wire
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Guantanamo Bay

Biden’s administration is working to secure the release of three Americans – Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann, and Mahmood Habibi – who were seized in 2022, in exchange for Muhammad Rahim al-Afghani, according to the WSJ.

The Taliban has countered by requesting the release of Rahim and two additional Afghan prisoners in exchange for Glezmann and Corbett. The militant group denies it is holding Habibi.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan informed Congress on December 17 that Biden has yet to decide on the Taliban’s proposal, prompting frustration among the detainees’ families over slow progress.

Anna Corbett, wife of detainee Ryan Corbett, urged Biden to prioritize returning wrongfully detained Americans, adding that “he is running out of time to show these are more than empty words for families like mine that are not famous or well connected,” as cited by the publication.

The State Department labeled Glezmann and Corbett as wrongfully detained, enabling more resources for their release, while the FBI believes Habibi was taken by Afghan forces but hasn’t been designated as wrongfully detained.

A Senate Intelligence Committee report from 2014 identified Rahim as an “al-Qaeda facilitator,” stating that he was captured in Pakistan in June 2007 and transferred to CIA custody the following month. The report detailed that Rahim was held at a secret CIA “black site,” where he underwent interrogation techniques such as prolonged sleep deprivation, before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay in March 2008.

Rahim, however, has consistently denied any links to al Qaeda, maintaining that he worked as a linguist in Afghanistan, translating Arabic and Pashto. His lawyer, James Connell, told the WSJ that the charges against Rahim are “largely exaggerated” and no substantial evidence has emerged in the 17 years since his detention. He referred to Rahim as “the last person” admitted into the CIA’s post-9/11 torture program.

Connell also noted that neither Rahim nor his legal team had been informed by the Biden administration or the Taliban about ongoing negotiations.

The exchange proposal is challenging for Biden, who has secured the release of over 70 American hostages worldwide during the past four years, the WSJ pointed out, as he faces potential criticism for handing over individuals considered national security threats.

The Pentagon announced the transfer of 11 Yemeni prisoners to Oman on Monday, reducing the Guantanamo Bay detainee population to 15. Among those released were two alleged former bodyguards of Osama bin Laden, held for over two decades without formal charges.

Iran atomic chief: Construction of units 2, 3 of Bushehr nuclear power plant continues

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Mohammad Eslami

In a joint meeting with the Iranian Parliament’s Energy Committee, Mohammad Eslami said the capacity for nuclear power generation is set to triple according to the Seventh Development Plan, adding the AEOI, with the round-the-clock efforts of 5,000 personnel, is committed to the expansion.

Eslami highlighted the 50th anniversary of the AEOI establishment and the significant progress made despite international political pressures.

He emphasized the importance of nuclear technology as a driver for various sciences and technologies, and the need to overcome obstacles imposed by global powers.

Eslami noted that recent years have seen renewed focus on nuclear technology, adding plans are in place to construct nuclear power plants along the southern and northern coasts of Iran, aiming to produce 20,000 megawatts of nuclear power by 2041.

The AEOI said the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, a key asset in Iran’s energy production, has demonstrated high international standards in management, safety, and efficiency.

Eslami highlighted nuclear power plant’s operation has saved 105.7 million barrels of oil and prevented the emission of pollutants.

Israel demolished over 12k structures in West Bank in 25 years: UN report

By
IFP Media Wire
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The hardest-hit areas include Khirbet Tana, Jabal Mukaber, and Silwan, which saw 400, 373, and 274 demolitions, respectively, said the OCHA’s report, entitled Breakdown of Data on Demolition and Displacement in the West Bank.

The report revealed that demolitions targeted 3,553 agricultural structures and 3,547 residential buildings. The year 2024 marked a peak, with 1,763 incidents recorded – the highest in 16 years.

Children and families remain particularly vulnerable, according to OCHA. The displaced individuals included 5,358 boys, 4,324 girls, 5,462 men and 4,791 women.

OCHA also reported that nearly 1,800 donor-funded structures were demolished, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region, where access to essential services continues to deteriorate.

These figures highlight the urgent need for international action to address the impact of ongoing demolitions and displacements in the West Bank.

Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank due to Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 45,900 people, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 835 Palestinians have also been killed and nearly 6,700 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian figures.

In 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.

Lebanese military deploys in southern towns following Israeli withdrawal

By
IFP Media Wire
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Lebanon Army

In a statement, the army confirmed its units have started operations in the towns of Ras Naqoura, Alma al-Shaab, and Tayr Harfa in Tyre district, as well as Beit Lif in Bint Jbeil district.

The army added that its forces are also extending their presence to other towns in the western and central sectors of southern Lebanon after the Israeli withdrawal. This includes continuing their deployment in Naqoura, a key town in Tyre district, initiated earlier this week.

As part of its deployment, the army is conducting engineering surveys to remove unexploded ordnance, clear debris, and reopen roads. These efforts are being carried out in coordination with the UN Interim Forces (UNIFIL) and the five-party committee overseeing the cease-fire agreement with Israel.

The army urged residents to avoid the affected areas and comply with military instructions until the operations are complete.

The deployment in Naqoura began Monday, following similar operations in Shama, Tyre district on Dec. 31, and in Khiam, Marjayoun district on Dec. 12.

Meanwhile, US envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Lebanon on Monday to discuss the implementation of the cease-fire agreement, according to local media reports.

Under the cease-fire terms, Israel is required to withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line – a de facto border – in phases, while the Lebanese army is to deploy in southern Lebanon within 60 days.

Data from the Lebanese Health Ministry indicates that since Israel’s onslaught against Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023, at least 4,063 people have been killed, including women, children, and health workers, while 16,664 others have been injured.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has accused Israel of flouting international commitments under Resolution 1701, stressing that the burden of adherence lies not just with Lebanon but also with Israel.

“We have conveyed a clear message to the sponsors of the ceasefire agreement: Israel must end its violations and withdraw from Lebanese territory,” Mikati stated, referring to the UN Security Council resolution that underpins the cessation of hostilities between Beirut and Tel Aviv.

Mikati emphasised that implementing Resolution 1701 is a shared responsibility and warned Israel against continuing to undermine the ceasefire.

“Commitment to the resolution is not Lebanon’s obligation alone; it is equally binding on the Israeli enemy,” he added.

EU spokesperson on Geneva talks: Regular communication with Iran maintained

By
Emad Askarieh
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Iran and EU Flags

In exclusive talks to IRNA, the EU spokesperson, who asked not to be named, made these remarks in response to a question from an IRNA reporter about the potential presence of an EU representative at the upcoming meeting.

The new round of talks between Iran and the UK, France, and Germany is scheduled for next Monday in Geneva.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy Minister for Legal and International Affairs at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has noted that the discussions would focus on reviewing issues and setting frameworks, though the outcome remains uncertain.

The previous round of talks was held on November 30, 2024, in Geneva, described by Iran’s Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, as a “brainstorming session.”

It addressed the latest bilateral developments, regional issues, Iran’s nuclear program, and the lifting of anti-Tehran sanctions.

Despite significant differences and challenges, both sides agreed to continue diplomatic efforts.

Experts believe that the upcoming talks could be a positive step towards reviving the JCPOA, even though serious differences remain.

Iran has expressed its readiness to engage in nuclear negotiations based on mutual respect and interests, aiming for a constructive and prompt agreement.

Tehran rejects French president’s claims as baseless

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Esmail Bghaei

Esmail Baqaei called on France to reconsider its unconstructive approaches toward peace and stability in the West Asia region, saying the Israeli regime is the immediate and genuine threat to regional peace and stability.

He said: “With full support from the United States and certain European countries, including France, Israel continues its occupation and genocide in occupied Palestine while persistently expanding its military aggression and territorial ambitions across the region.”

Baqaei expressed deep regret that the French President has failed to hold accountable a genocidal and apartheid regime whose leaders are under investigation by the International Criminal Court.

Baqaei also rejected the French President’s claims regarding Iran’s nuclear program, reaffirming that Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities are conducted in full compliance with international regulations and under the strict and ongoing oversight of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He described these allegations as unfounded and hypocritical, particularly coming from a government that has failed to fulfill its own commitments under the Iran nuclear deal, JCPOA, while playing a key role in enabling Israel to acquire nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.

Baqaei also firmly rejected the repeated allegation of Iranian involvement in the Ukraine conflict, saying Iran advocated for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

US shifting military funds from Egypt to Lebanon: Reuters

By
IFP Media Wire
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Lebanon Pager Attack

The State Department notification to Congress of the planned shift, the Reuters news agency reported on Monday, names the Lebanese armed forces as “a key partner” in upholding the November 27, 2024, Israel-Lebanon agreement to cease hostilities.

The move comes after some of President Joe Biden’s fellow Democrats expressed deep concerns about Egypt’s human rights record, particularly the arrest of thousands of political prisoners.

The contents of the document remain unconfirmed. Neither the State Department nor the Egyptian embassy in Washington immediately responded to requests by Reuters for comment.

In September, the US Department of State’s digital publication State said the Biden administration would override human rights conditions on military aid to Egypt to grant Cairo a full allocation of $1.3bn. The total included $95m tied specifically to progress on the release of political prisoners.

The notification reportedly did not spell out that the $95m was those funds specifically, but a congressional aide said he did not believe the amount was a coincidence.

Egypt has been a vital partner in the Biden administration’s efforts to get more aid into Gaza and has helped mediate so-far-unsuccessful efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The September decision to grant the money to Egypt prompted objections from within Congress, including from Democratic Senators Chris Murphy and Chris Coons, both senior members of the Foreign Relations Committee, who released a joint statement decrying the decision.

According to the State Department document, the funds would be made available to professionalise the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), strengthen border security, combat terrorism and address security requirements affected by the shift in power in Syria.

“The United States remains Lebanon’s security partner of choice, and US support to the LAF directly helps secure Lebanon and the wider Levant region,” the notification added.

Bolstering Lebanon’s army could also help ensure Syria’s transition is not disrupted by Iran-backed Shia group Hezbollah, which previously played a major part in propping up Bashar al-Assad during Syria’s war.

Under US law, Congress has 15 days to object to a reallocation of military assistance, but a congressional aide familiar with the process commented that he expected lawmakers would welcome the administration’s shift of the funds to Lebanon.

“This is a way to say, ‘This funding that Egypt didn’t really deserve and doesn’t really need, let’s reprogramme that and put this in a better place,” the aide told Reuters.

Ireland joins genocide case against Israel at ICJ over Gaza war

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Gaza War

In a brief press statement, the ICJ said that Ireland had joined Nicaragua, Colombia, Mexico, Libya, Bolivia, Turkey, the Maldives, Chile, Spain, and the State of Palestine in asking to intervene in the case.

South Africa first filed its case against Israel in December 2023, accusing the regime of committing genocide during its ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Ireland’s declaration of intervention puts forward no further allegations against Israel, instead focusing on the legal framework for its involvement in South Africa’s case. Noting that the legal definition of genocide requires an “intent to destroy, in whole or in part” a target population, the document submitted by Ireland argues that intent might be inferred “in any case where a reasonable person would have foreseen that” genocide is “the natural and probable consequence of the acts of the perpetrator”.

“Ireland respectfully submits that the perpetrator does not need to have, as his or her purpose, the commission of the crime of genocide when committing any one or more of the material elements of the crime,” the declaration continues.

“The crime may also be committed where a perpetrator – regardless of his or her purpose – knows (or should know) that the natural and probable consequence of these acts is either to destroy or contribute to the destruction of the protected group … and proceeds regardless.”

The Irish government previously announced its plan to intervene in the case in March 2024. Its intervention marks the latest development in its increasingly outspoken criticism of Israel’s war conduct.

Ireland had consistently criticized Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank and Gaza before the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, which killed roughly 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage.

Since Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in response, Irish politicians across the political spectrum and the public have expressed concern over what has been largely viewed as a heavy-handed response. Israeli attacks have killed at least 45,900 people in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Relations between Ireland and Israel reached a nadir in December after Israel shuttered its embassy in Dublin.

At the time, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris described Israel’s decision as “deeply regrettable”.

UN warns Gaza aid effort at ‘breaking point’ amid war

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Gaza War

Aid efforts in Gaza are facing mounting obstacles as Israeli forces continue attacks on relief workers amid a breakdown of law and order in the war-torn enclave, the UN humanitarian agency’s (OCHA) chief said in a statement.

He also noted the threat from armed Palestinian groups.

Tom Fletcher, undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, stated: “The reality is that despite our determination to deliver food, water and medicine to survivors, our efforts to save lives are at breaking point.”

The official added an Israeli air attack had seriously injured three people at a known food distribution point where the World Food Programme (WFP) partner was operating.

Israeli soldiers also fired more than 16 rounds at a clearly marked UN convoy at the checkpoint from the south to the north on Sunday, he continued.

Armed Palestinian gangs are also hindering operations. They hijacked six fuel tankers entering from the Karem Abu Salem crossing, known as Kerem Shalom to Israelis, leaving humanitarian agencies with hardly any fuel for aid operations, Fletcher said.

“There is no meaningful civil order. Israeli forces are unable or unwilling to ensure the safety of our convoys. Statements by Israeli authorities vilify our aid workers even as the military attacks them. Community volunteers who accompany our convoys are being targeted. There is now a perception that it is dangerous to protect aid convoys but safe to loot them,” Fletcher said.

Israel’s genocide in Gaza has killed at least 45,854 Palestinians and wounded 109,139 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,200 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day, and about 250 were taken captive.

UN agencies estimate that some 1.6 million people in Gaza are living in makeshift shelters that do not protect them from the cold of winter, with nearly half a million in flood-prone areas. Authorities in Gaza say some 110,000 out of the 135,000 tents being used as shelter in the Strip are worn out and not fit for use.

Fletcher has called on UN member states to ensure that all civilians, and all humanitarian operations, are protected.

“This should not need to be said,” he insisted.

His comments came as Gaza’s Health Ministry urged international donors to immediately provide fuel to maintain medical services.

It warned of “a real disaster”, as none of the remaining operational health facilities in the enclave has any fuel stock left, “threatening hospitals, oxygen stations, medicine refrigerators, and nurseries”.

The ministry announced the latest shipment of fuel was stolen on Monday as it was on its way to hospitals.

“We reiterate our appeal to all concerned international and humanitarian institutions to urgently intervene to provide and secure fuel to operate generators in hospitals and health centres in the Gaza Strip,” the ministry added.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari confirmed that indirect talks aimed at cementing a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas are continuing with “technical meetings” taking place between the parties.

Discussions among lower-level officials on the details of an agreement are continuing, and “there are no principal meetings taking place at the moment”, he added.

Hamas stood by its demand on Tuesday that Israel fully end its assault on Gaza and withdraw all its troops from Gaza under any deal to release Israeli captives.

Iranian filmmaker wins top honors at NYIFA for short film Soratgar

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

This renowned festival, in its sixth edition, selects films through preliminary, semifinal, and final stages. Selected films are screened monthly at The Producers Club in Manhattan, New York, with public screenings set for January 20, 2025.

Soratgar is a short documentary based on the lives of Molavi or Rumi, the great Iranian poet, and his spiritual instructor Shams Tabrizi in 642 AH. It is currently in contention for the Academy Awards, BAFTA, and other prestigious honors in 2026, and ranks among IMDb’s Top 50 Short Films and Documentaries of 2025.

Previously, Soratgar secured third place at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in 2022, in the US, and earned nominations at the 78th FESTIVAL INTERNAZIONALE DEL CINEMA DI SALERNO, in Italy, and the Crown Point International Film Festival in 2024 in Chicago, the US.

Key collaborators on Soratgar include cinematographer Ali Ehsani, editor Ehsan Vaseghi, and artistic director Mohammad Nazari.

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