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Lebanese military says working with ‘friendly states’ to halt Israeli violations

By
IFP Media Wire
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It comes after Israeli soldiers fired at a patrol belonging to the UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL), without causing injuries.

Israel “continues to violate Lebanese sovereignty, undermining stability and obstructing the full deployment of the army in the south,” the army said in a statement, describing the targeting of the UNIFIL patrol as “the latest of these condemned attacks.”

Lebanon “will work with friendly states to put an end to these ongoing violations,” the army said, stressing the need for immediate action because the situation represents a serious escalation.

Earlier Sunday, UNIFIL announced that an Israeli tank fired at its peacekeepers near a position Israel built inside Lebanese territory.

UNIFIL confirmed there were no injuries and said the shooting constitutes “a serious violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

Resolution 1701, adopted on Aug. 11, 2006, calls for a cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel and the establishment of a weapons-free zone between the Blue Line and Lebanon’s Litani River.

Tensions have been mounting in southern Lebanon for weeks, with the Israeli army intensifying near-daily air raids inside Lebanese territory, allegedly targeting Hezbollah members and infrastructure.

The Israeli army has killed more than 4,000 people and injured nearly 17,000 in its attacks on Lebanon, which began in October 2023 and turned into a full-scale offensive in September 2024.

Under a ceasefire declared in November 2024, the Israeli army was supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon this January, but instead only partially pulled out and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.

 

EU defence chief says Europe ‘not ready’ for Russian drone attack

By
IFP Media Wire
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The 27-nation bloc is scrambling to plug its drone defences after NATO jets shot down Russian drones over Poland in September.

“Why did it take us more than two years and the trigger of the Russian provocation with drones against Poland, and also against Baltic States and Romania, to understand that we are not ready to detect Russian drones and to destroy them with cost-effective means?” Kubilius said in a speech in Vilnius.

“The Russians are learning. Are we?”.

NATO has sent reinforcements to its eastern flank and is deploying more drone defences in the wake of the incident in Poland.

The EU has also stressed it wants to build a system of anti-drone defences — but details remain in flux and any plan will likely take years.

Kubilius insisted that, as European nations play catch up, they must seek to include Ukraine and its battle-hardened military of some 800,000 personnel as a key part of their broader defences.

“If we do not do that, we shall make a historical mistake, which shall leave us weaker. And which shall leave Ukraine weaker,” Kubilius added.

The rush to bolster EU defences comes as European intelligence agencies warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin could look to attack a NATO country in the coming years if the war in Ukraine ends.

 

Iran conducts first cloud-seeding operation of year in Urmia basin

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Snow Iran

The operation, conducted on Saturday, involved a specially equipped aircraft dispersing cloud-seeding materials over the region.

Mohammad Mehdi Javadianzadeh, head of the Organization for the Development and Operation of Advanced Atmospheric Water Technologies, said the initiative aims to enhance rainfall in suitable weather systems that enter the country.

“We will carry out operations on all incoming systems that are favorable for cloud seeding,” he stated.

Javadianzadeh noted that no suitable rainfall system has yet reached the capital Tehran, but authorities are monitoring conditions closely.
A weak system is also forecasted for western provinces, where seeding will proceed if conditions permit.

The cloud-seeding program is scheduled to continue until mid-May 2026, using aircraft and drones as needed.

Officials emphasized that, while cloud seeding is a cost-effective method of harvesting atmospheric water, managing public expectations about the technology remains critical.

Globally, cloud seeding is also used for hail suppression, fog clearing, rainfall delay, and enhancing water storage for hydroelectric power.

Javadianzadeh said Iran’s operations focus exclusively on increasing rainfall to support the country’s critical water resources.

Tehran Symphony Orchestra features first female conductor in historic performance

By
Photo of the Day
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Iranian daily accuses Taliban minister of “deceit” over Helmand river water rights

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran water share

According to Jomhouri Eslami, Afghanistan’s acting Minister of Industry and Trade, Nooruddin Azizi, visited Sistan and Baluchestan province for talks on expanding border trade, constructing a second route at the Milak crossing, and enhancing the use of Iran’s Chabahar port.

When questioned about Iran’s longstanding demand for its Helmand water rights, Azizi attributed the lack of water flow to severe drought in Afghanistan, saying Kabul has “no hostility or intention to divert water.”

In a commentary published by the daily, Iranian journalist Farshid Abedi argued that Azizi’s remarks contradict documented water diversions toward the Godzareh depression, which Iran says prevent Helmand waters from reaching Sistan.

The article cites satellite imagery that shows significant volumes of floodwater being diverted annually following the construction of the Kamal Khan Dam, completed during Afghanistan’s previous government.

The report further asserts that both the former Afghan administration and the Taliban have resisted proposed adjustments to the dam’s infrastructure that could restore downstream flow into Iran.

The newspaper contends that continued diversion undermines Iran’s water rights and contradicts Kabul’s claims of drought-related shortages.

Lawyer says actor Pejman Jamshidi returned to Iran voluntarily, alleged rape case still under investigation

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Speaking to local media, attorney Kambiz Barjas stated that “no new developments” have occurred in the case. “The file is still under preliminary investigation and no specific action has been taken,” he said.

Barjas emphasized that Jamshidi’s recent return to the country, after his trip to Canada to visit his sister and other family members, was voluntary.

“My client came back to Iran willingly. No judicial authority had issued a summons. He stands ready to appear before the court out of respect for the law,” the lawyer added.

According to Barjas, the judiciary’s spokesperson previously confirmed that certain individuals with information relevant to the case had been questioned, but no further measures had followed.

He also noted that an earlier temporary detention order was reviewed “as a matter of urgency” by senior judges in the Court of Appeal. “The decision was overturned and the detention order was lifted. My client is now free. This ruling is final and enforceable,” Barjas said.

Trump says supports bill to sanction Russia’s trading partners, including Iran

By
IFP Media Wire
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“The Republicans are putting in legislation that is very tough sanctioning, etcetera, on any country doing business with Russia,” Trump told reporters before leaving Florida on Sunday to return to the White House.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in October that he was ready to bring legislation long championed by Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina that sanctions Russia to a vote, but didn’t “want to commit to a hard deadline.”

The bill would allow Trump to impose tariffs of up to 500% on imports from countries that buy Russian energy products and are not actively supporting Ukraine. This specifically targets major consumers of Russian energy, such as China and India.

“We may add Iran to that,” Trump added Sunday, without elaborating.

Democrats and some Republicans in Congress have pushed for legislation to punish Russia for its continued war on Ukraine. Trump had been reluctant to support it as he tried to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Putin is showing no sign of letting up in his military campaign after almost four years of war in Ukraine, with Trump failing to sway Putin even after hosting the Russian leader for a summit in Alaska.

 

Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries driving price hikes in US, Europe: Bloomberg

By
IFP Media Wire
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The attacks, combined with outages at key plants in Asia and Africa, have removed millions of barrels of diesel and gasoline from the global market, the outlet reported.

US sanctions on Russian energy giants Lukoil and Rosneft in October, along with restrictions imposed by the EU, have also helped drive prices higher.

Refining margins in the US, Europe, and Asia are now at their highest levels for this time of year since at least 2018, Bloomberg said, citing its own calculations.

Additional pressure has come from shutdowns and outages at refineries in Kuwait and Nigeria.

Ukraine has targeted oil depots, processing plants, and metering stations with drones and missiles, calling them legitimate facilities that support Russia’s “war machine.”

Russia, in turn, has struck elements of Ukraine’s power grid, saying the infrastructure supports the Ukrainian military.

Israeli man indicted for handing over intelligence to Tehran

By
IFP Media Wire
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According to Israeli media, authorities allege that Azarzar, with the help of his girlfriend, a reservist at an Air Force base, passed photos and coordinates of strategic sites to Iranian handlers over the course of a year.

Azarzar and his girlfriend were arrested in October, reportedly receiving payments via digital transfer for their activities.

Iran’s intelligence services have repeatedly penetrated Israel’s security apparatus, exposing its vulnerabilities despite extensive Western backing.

About a week before Azarzar’s arrest, another suspect was detained on similar charges. Investigators allegedly uncovered digital materials and 18 SIM cards used for communication with a hostile foreign agent.

Last week, prosecutors charged a hotel worker from Tiberias with spying for Iran, in a separate case reported by local media.

Despite Israel’s attempts to downplay these incidents, the arrests highlight a recurring pattern of infiltration that undermines the myth of Israeli invulnerability.

 

Moscow says US and Russia ‘actively discussing’ settlement of Ukraine war

By
IFP Media Wire
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Although the summit failed to yield a breakthrough, Moscow has praised what it called Washington’s willingness to mediate and consider the conflict’s underlying causes.

Russian officials also maintain that continued dialogue creates opportunities for trade and economic cooperation despite the US decision to sanction the oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil last month.

Russia is receiving “many signals” from the US, with the Anchorage meeting still acting as a basis for the talks, Ushakov told journalist Pavel Zarubin on Sunday.

“We do believe it is a good way forward,” he said.

According to the official, the understandings are still relevant since Washington has never explicitly stated that they are no longer valid.

The presidential aide admitted that the peace process and agreements reached in Alaska do not sit well with Kiev and some of its European backers, adding that it only indicates they want to continue the bloodshed.

“The Anchorage [meeting] is only disliked by those who does not want a peaceful resolution [to the Ukraine conflict],” he added.

Bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington sank to an all-time low under former US President Joe Biden, amid the Ukraine conflict, but have shown signs of improvement since Trump’s return to the White House. US and Russian officials have held several rounds of talks this year, including the Alaska summit.

The US and Russia also announced the next planned Trump-Putin summit in Budapest in the fall, but it was then postponed indefinitely. Washington is still determined to continue contacts with Moscow, according to US Vice President J.D. Vance. Earlier in November, he called direct dialogue with Russia part of the “Trump doctrine.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed this month that Moscow was ready to resume contacts and rejected media reports claiming otherwise as false.

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