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Syrian flag hoisted at Britain embassy after 12-year closure

By
IFP Media Wire
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Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, in the UK for an official visit, presided over the ceremony at the building in central London on Thursday.

The embassy had remained shut for more than a decade after the UK severed diplomatic ties with Damascus during the Syrian conflict.

In a post on the US social media company X, Sheybani described the moment as symbolic of a new chapter for his country, saying the reopening came “after years of isolation imposed by Assad’s chemical regime.”

“Syria is returning to the world with its free identity,” he added.

The UK government has not yet commented publicly on the ceremony or its implications for bilateral relations.

The flag raising represents the latest visible step in Syria’s efforts to restore diplomatic representation abroad after years of international isolation.

Ukraine will have to negotiate with Russia ‘sooner or later’: Kremlin

By
IFP Media Wire
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Kremlin

Moscow, whose forces are trying to take control of the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, has accused Ukrainian officials of refusing to engage in peace talks. Kyiv says Moscow’s terms to end the war are unacceptable and tantamount to asking it to surrender.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that Russia remained open to a political and diplomatic settlement and wanted peace.

But in the absence of such an opportunity, he stated Russia would continue fighting in order to protect its own security for the benefit of future generations.

“…the Ukrainian side should know that sooner or later it will have to negotiate, but from a much worse position. The position of the Kyiv regime will deteriorate day by day,” added Peskov.

 

EU chief insists using Russian frozen assets best way to fund Ukraine

By
IFP Media Wire
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The European Union

The 27-nation bloc is scrambling for funds to help Kyiv plug looming budget black holes as Russia’s war drags on towards a fourth year.

Von der Leyen’s executive has put forward a plan to use Russian central bank assets immobilised in Belgium to generate a 140-billion-euro “reparations loan” for Ukraine.

But that has so far faced opposition from the Belgian government that fears it could face legal reprisals from Moscow.

“We are working closely with Belgium, and all member states, on options,” von der Leyen told EU lawmakers.

She remained adamant the frozen assets plan — under which the EU “gives a loan to Ukraine, that Ukraine pays back if Russia pays reparations” — remains the best choice.

“This is the most effective way to sustain Ukraine’s defence and its economy. And the clearest way to make Russia understand that time is not on its side,” the European Commission president added.

Von der Leyen set out two other options if there was no green light on that plan.

The first was to use wiggle room in the EU’s central budget to raise money on capital markets and the second was that member states agree to raise the money together themselves.

EU officials and diplomats warn that both plans would incur greater costs for countries at a time when national budgets are under strain.

Diplomats said that by setting them out, von der Leyen was looking to pile pressure on Belgium to agree to tap the frozen assets.

EU officials say they want to seal a deal on a financing plan for Ukraine at a summit of the bloc’s leaders in December.

 

 

US says ‘running out of things to sanction’ in Russia

By
IFP Media Wire
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Russia US Flags

In late October, US President Donald Trump ordered new sanctions on energy majors Lukoil and Rosneft, a move that Rubio said was made at the request of Ukraine and its backers.

Washington also disrupted Lukoil’s attempt to sell its foreign assets to a Swiss-based energy trader, which the US Treasury Department claimed had ties to the Russian government.

“We hit their major oil companies, which is what everybody’s been asking for,” Rubio told reporters.

“I don’t know what more there is to do. I mean, we’re running out of things to sanction in that regard,” he added.

The top US diplomat added that targeting the so-called “Russian shadow fleet” – tankers that Western governments accuse of transporting oil covertly in defiance of their punitive measures – should now fall to European nations, as “a lot of these are happening in areas much closer to them.”

The US and its allies have sought to cripple the Russian economy with sanctions and provide an advantage to Ukraine in the ongoing conflict. However, Moscow maintains that its economy has adapted, redirecting trade to non-Western markets.

Meanwhile, Ukraine faces a worsening financial crisis, with reports suggesting that it may run out of cash as early as February without an increase of Western aid. The European Union is pushing for a €140 billion ($160 billion) “reparation loan” to keep Kiev afloat, using frozen Russian sovereign assets as collateral – a move Moscow has condemned as outright theft.

Belgium, which holds the majority of the immobilized Russian funds through the clearing house Euroclear, has blocked the proposal, demanding that other Western states share the financial and legal risks.

 

Iran FM urges UN to hold US, Israel accountable for ‘crime of aggression’ against Tehran

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Abbas Araghchi

The Iranian foreign minister described the aggressive moves by the Zionist regime and the US against Iran, which resulted in the martyrdom of more than 1,100 innocent people, the injury of many others, and extensive material damage, as a flagrant violation of the principles of the UN Charter and the fundamental rules of international law.

Referring to the unlawful and criminal attacks against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Araghchi also considered them a clear violation of the UN Charter, the final documents of the Review Conferences of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), IAEA resolutions (including Resolutions 444 and 533), and Security Council Resolution 487 (1981).

In his letter, Araghchi explained that the international responsibility for the violations lies not only with the Israeli regime but also with the US, due to its direct participation and leadership in the attacks. He stressed that the US is obliged to fully compensate for the material and moral damages caused by the violations against Iran and its citizens.

The Iranian foreign minister further noted that the admission of the US president to participation and leadership in the crime of aggression by the Zionist regime against Iran entails individual criminal responsibility for the US president and any other American officials or individuals involved in these gross violations of international law.

He stated that, through committing the crime of aggression, directing attacks against Iranian citizens, including women and children, scientists, university professors, journalists, and prisoners, and deliberately targeting civilian objectives such as hospitals and ambulances, the Iranian national broadcasting center, a prison, and energy infrastructure including peaceful nuclear facilities, they have committed war crimes.

Araghchi emphasized in the letter the inherent right of the Islamic Republic of Iran to pursue accountability through all legal channels against responsible states and individuals, as well as to seek compensation for the damages incurred.

Iranian and Russian FMs discuss issues of mutual interest on the phone

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

Araghchi and Lavrov discussed the state of bilateral relations, reaffirming the firm determination of their countries to expand cooperation in all areas of mutual interest.

Araghchi expressed concern over the recent clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He stressed the importance of constructive regional efforts to safeguard peace and stability, and called for enhanced dialogue and cooperation among regional countries in this regard. Araghchi also underlined the need for continued consultations between Iran and Russia, as well as with other regional partners, to explore ways of preserving peace and stability.

The top Iranian diplomat referred to the recent moves by the US and certain European countries at the UN Security Council regarding Palestine, including a draft resolution that would impose an international trusteeship over Gaza and Palestine. Araghchi warned that such initiatives contradict the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and are doomed to fail.

For his part, Lavrov underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation among regional countries to maintain collective security. He further reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness to continue bilateral and regional consultations toward this goal.

The two foreign ministers also pointed to the upcoming meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, exchanging views on Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Araghchi and Lavrov underlined the need to maintain coordination and cooperation among Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing in this regard.

Official: Around 500 Afghan nationals caught and repatriated daily from Iran’s border

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Afghan Refugee in Iran

Speaking to IRNA news agency on Thursday, Shamaghdari said tighter visa regulations for Afghan citizens have led to a sharp rise in illegal border crossings, with the number of unauthorized entries into Khorasan Razavi, bordering Afghanistan, more than doubling in recent months.

He noted that border guards apprehend these individuals, record their biometric data, and then repatriate them to Afghanistan.

“Thanks to the vigilance of our border forces, those who attempt to enter illegally are quickly identified and returned,” he added.

According to the official, over one million Afghan citizens have been repatriated through the Dogharoon border crossing since the beginning of the current Iranian year, in mid-March.

Shamaghdari also reported significant progress in fortifying and modernizing the province’s borders, including the installation of night-vision cameras, radar systems, and other surveillance technologies, which have enhanced security and reduced human resource risks.

Khorasan Razavi shares 835 kilometers of border with Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, including 297 kilometers under the Taybad border regiment’s jurisdiction.

US knew Israeli officials discussed use of human shields in Gaza: Reuters

By
IFP Media Wire
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Israel Army

The information was shared with the White House and analysed by the intelligence community in the final weeks of former President Joe Biden’s administration, the officials said.

International law prohibits the use of civilians as shields during military activity.

Israel’s use of Palestinians as human shields in Gaza and the occupied West Bank has been documented on multiple occasions, but Wednesday’s Reuters report is a rare acknowledgement that Washington collected its own evidence on the subject.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive national security information, did not provide details on whether the Palestinians referenced in the intelligence were prisoners or civilians.

In May this year, seven Palestinians who had been used as human shields in Gaza, as well as the occupied West Bank, shared testimonies in a report published by The Associated Press.

In June 2024, video footage verified by Al Jazeera showed Israeli soldiers tied a wounded Palestinian man, Mujahed Azmi, to the front of a military jeep and drove him past two ambulances during a raid on the city of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank.

Israel was questioned at the United Nations on Tuesday and Wednesday over multiple reports alleging the torture of Palestinian detainees, in particular since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.

Twenty-eight Israeli officials appeared in front of a panel of 10 UN experts on torture in Geneva.

Israel has repeatedly been accused of using torture during its two-year war on Gaza.

In one instance, a video leaked from its infamous Sde Teiman military prison appeared to show Israeli soldiers raping a Palestinian detainee.

In addition, dozens of dead bodies of Palestinian detainees that have been returned to Gaza since the start of a ceasefire have exhibited signs of torture.

The UN Committee Against Torture will issue a non-binding summary of its findings on the allegations against Israel at the end of November.

US issues Iran-related missile and drone sanctions

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Iran US Flags

A total of 32 individuals and entities based in Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, China, Hong Kong, India, Germany and Ukraine that operate multiple procurement networks are being targeted in Wednesday’s designations, the Treasury Department said in a statement.

“These networks pose a threat to U.S. and allied personnel in the Middle East and to commercial shipping in the Red Sea,” the department added.

 

Iran urges UN action after Trump acknowledges role in Israeli attacks

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Abbas Araghchi

Araghchi’s letter, addressed to the world body’s secretary-general on Tuesday, cited a remark by Trump on November 6, in which the latter had said, “Israel attacked [Iran] first. That attack was very, very powerful. I was very much in charge of that.”

The top diplomat then asserted that under the international law, this constituted clear evidence of US direction and control over the military strikes carried out by the Israeli regime.

The letter referenced prior communications sent by the Islamic Republic to the Security Council on June 13, 22, and 28, in which Tehran had likewise protested the “brazen acts of aggression” committed by Washington and Tel Aviv from June 13 to 24 against the Iranian soil.

According to Araghchi, the attacks targeted Iranian civilians, infrastructure, and facilities, including peaceful nuclear sites under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s safeguards, resulting in the martyrdom of more than 1,100 people and injuries to many others.

The official stressed that the strikes violated multiple international legal frameworks, including Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, IAEA resolutions, and UN Security Council Resolution 487 (1981).

He held that responsibility for these violations rested not only with the regime, but also with the US, which – in line with Trump’s admission – directed and controlled the Israeli aggression.

Araghchi’s letter called on the US to provide full reparation for the damages caused, including both material and moral compensation, under established international law.

The correspondence further asserted that Trump and other US officials bore individual criminal responsibility for war crimes, including the crime of aggression, deliberate attacks on civilians, targeting of senior military officers, and assaults on hospitals, media centers, prisons, and energy infrastructure.

The letter also emphasized that accountability extended to Israeli officials involved in commanding, ordering, or assisting in the war crimes.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its full and unimpeachable right to pursue, through all available legal means, the establishment of accountability for the responsible States and individuals and to secure compensation for the damages sustained,” Araghchi wrote.

He concluded by urging the UN secretary-general and Security Council to take appropriate measures to ensure accountability for both the United States and the regime, underscoring the need to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice.

The foreign minister requested that the letter be circulated as an official Security Council document, reinforcing Iran’s call for international recognition and response to the violations.

 

 

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