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Former diplomat: EU alone cannot resolve Iran’s sanctions issue without U.S. involvement

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Donald Trump

Talking to the E’temad news outlet, he reiterated his longstanding position that no agreement is achievable in the absence of Washington’s participation.

Mousavian argued that the resolution of the current crisis depends on how Iran and the U.S. engage during Trump’s presidency. “If Trump resumes his maximum pressure campaign and military confrontations between Israel and Iran continue, Iran may cross the nuclear threshold and move toward weaponization,” he warned.

However, he highlighted a unique opportunity for Trump to address the nuclear crisis, end 40 years of hostility between the West and Iran, and resolve the region’s ongoing tensions.

According to Mousavian, only a comprehensive approach involving the U.S. can lead to meaningful outcomes in the current negotiations and sanctions relief.

Deputy foreign ministers of Iran and the E3- Britain, Germany, and France- are scheduled to hold talks on Friday in Geneva.

Israel to appeal ICC’s arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant

By
IFP Media Wire
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Netanyahu Gallant

“Israel submitted an announcement to the ICC today regarding its intention to appeal to the court along with a demand to delay implementation of the arrest warrants,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

It noted that Netanyahu met Wednesday with US Sen. Lindsey Graham at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.

The ICC issued arrest warrants last week for Netanyahu Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel had a deadline until midnight Wednesday to respond to the decision of the court in The Hague.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its brutal war on the Gaza Strip, where nearly 44,300 victims have been killed since October 2023.

Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, said on Thursday that the ICC had “no justification” for issuing arrests warrants for Israeli leaders.

Saar told Reuters Israel has appealed against the decision and that it sets a dangerous precedent.

The foreign minister also added Israel would finish the war in Gaza when it “achieves its objectives” of returning hostages being held by Hamas and ensuring the group no longer controls the besieged strip.

According to Reuters, Saar stated that Israel does not intend to control civilian life in Gaza and that he believes peace is “inevitable” but cannot be based on “illusions”.

Israeli army shells Lebanese towns amid fragile cease-fire

By
IFP Media Wire
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Israel Army

Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported artillery shelling in the towns of Ayta al-Shaab and Bent Jbeil in southern Lebanon.

An airstrike also targeted a car in the town of Markaba, leaving two people injured, the state agency said.

Israeli tanks also fired shells on the town of Wazzani and at the outskirts of Kfarshouba in southern Lebanon.

Israeli reconnaissance planes also flew over the districts of Tyre and Bent Jbeil on Thursday morning.

The Israeli army warned Lebanese civilians early Thursday to stay clear of 10 villages in southern Lebanon until further notice, warning that anyone who “crosses the line puts himself in danger”.

The Lebanese army also said Thursday that it began assuming its missions in southern Lebanon.

A military statement announced that army units began to assume their missions in the south, the Bekaa region, and southern Beirut, including setting up checkpoints, opening roads, and detonation of unexploded ordnance.

“These missions are part of the army’s ongoing efforts to keep pace with the movement of displaced people, help them return to their villages and towns, and maintain their security and safety,” it added.

The army noted these missions come as the deployment of its forces is being boosted south of the Litani River.

The cease-fire deal took effect early Wednesday to end more than 14 months of fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah.

Under the terms of the cease-fire, Israel will withdraw its forces south of the blue line de facto border in a phased manner while the Lebanese army deploys its forces in southern Lebanon within a period that does not exceed 60 days.

Implementation of the agreement will be overseen by the US and France, but details on enforcement mechanisms remain unclear.

More than 3,800 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon and over 1 million displaced since October last year, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Israel blocked all UN attempts to deliver aid to northern Gaza

By
IFP Media Wire
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Gaza War

In a statement, UNRWA said it attempted 91 times to deliver life-saving humanitarian aid to Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Beit Sahour in northern Gaza from Oct. 6 to Nov. 25.

“82 of these attempts were outrightly denied, while 9 of them were impeded,” it added.

“The conditions for survival are diminishing for the 65,000-75,000 people estimated to remain there,” the UN agency noted, stating, “For over 50 days, they have been facing diminishing conditions for survival.”

UNRWA warned that thousands of families who fled the besieged areas in northern Gaza “are now sheltering in the cold and rain without blankets, mattresses and waterproof shelters”.

“The situation is beyond miserable.”

Since Oct. 5, Israel has launched a large-scale ground operation in northern Gaza to allegedly prevent Palestinian resistance group Hamas from regrouping. Palestinians, however, accuse Israel of seeking to occupy the area and forcibly displace its residents.

Since then, no humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and fuel, has been allowed into the area, leaving most of the population there – currently estimated at 80,000 – on the verge of famine.

More than 2,300 people have been killed since the launch of the Israeli devastating campaign on Oct. 5 in the northern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The onslaught was the latest episode in a brutal Israeli war on the Gaza Strip that has killed nearly 44,300 people, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.

Last week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) 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 over its brutal war on Gaza.

Palestine’s president picks a successor

By
IFP Media Wire
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas

Abbas issued a decree stating that Fattouh would be temporarily appointed as his replacement if the position of PA president becomes vacant, according to a readout of the decree published on Wednesday by the Palestinian news outlet, Wafa.

The decree read that Abbas made the decision out of a “belief and awareness of this delicate stage in the history of the homeland and the Palestinian cause”.

If Fattouh becomes interim president, he will serve for 90 days until presidential elections are held, in accordance with Palestinian electoral law.

Fattouh previously served as interim Palestinian president in 2004 following the death of Yasser Arafat until Abbas was elected in January 2005. He also previously served as the speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), which acts as parliament.

Abbas’s pick comes with some controversy, as Fattouh was embroiled in a corruption scandal in 2008 when he was caught at the Allenby crossing between Jordan and Israel with 3,000 mobile phones in his car.

Fattouh was allegedly smuggling the phones, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to The Jerusalem Post, and using his Israeli-issued VIP pass to make it easier to make it through the crossing with the phones.

Fattouh denied the allegation at the time of the incident, blaming his driver for trying to smuggle the phones.

Senior Palestinian sources told Haaretz that Abbas was pressured to announce his retirement or choose a replacement if he could no longer fulfil his duties.

Abbas, and by extension, the PA, is seen as a widely unpopular figure among Palestinians. His rise to power as president also coincided with the increased suppression of individual freedoms in the West Bank.

He oversaw the split between the West Bank and Gaza in 2007 after Hamas’s electoral victory in parliamentary elections erupted into a civil war that saw Abbas and the PA take over the West Bank while Hamas took control of Gaza.

Over the years, hundreds of dissidents, including students, have been arrested by PA security forces. One of the major sources of scrutiny for Abbas has been on the subject of the PA’s security coordination with Israel.

Under Abbas, the PA has coordinated and shared intelligence with Israel about Palestinians suspected of planning operations against the Israeli occupation.

Abbas and the PA have also been criticised for rampant corruption and their inability to curb increased Israeli settler encroachments on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. Israeli settlements are considered illegal according to international law.

And since the Israeli war on Gaza, Hamas has seen a rise in popularity in the West Bank.

Despite his unpopularity, the 89-year-old has been PA president for two decades. In 2021, he delayed the first Palestinian elections in 15 years.

Iran assures AFC of safety, security for hosting int’l matches

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC)

In a detailed letter, Mehdi Taj emphasized that Iran, its national teams, and clubs are fully prepared to host AFC events, including the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and AFC club competitions, without any safety or security concerns.

Taj noted that despite the Iranian national team and clubs having to play their home matches on neutral grounds in other countries in October and November, the recent period has seen no safety or security issues within the country.

He reminded that international and domestic flights, which were briefly disrupted on October 1 over regional tensions, have since resumed normal operations and major airlines have all reinstated flights to Iran.

The letter further emphasized that other sports federations have continued to host international events in Iran, with participants from various countries attending without issues.

Taj urged the AFC to take the necessary measures to facilitate the hosting of home matches in Iran.

FM Araghchi: Iran retains right to respond to Israel, but considers regional developments as well

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Abbas Araghchi

Addressing reporters on Wednesday in Portugal, where he had gone to participate in the 10th United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Global Forum, Araghchi emphasized that while Iran acknowledges its right to retaliate against the Israeli aggression, it also welcomes the ceasefire reached in Lebanon.

He stated that Tehran is evaluating the situation in light of the ceasefire and hopes it will lead to a permanent peace in the region.

In Israel’s attacks on several military targets in Iran last month, five people were killed. Following more than a year of exchanges of fire and Israeli aggressions against Lebanon, a ceasefire between the two sides has been implemented since Wednesday. Around 4,000 Lebanese have been killed in this conflict.

IRGC chief: Lebanon Ceasefire humiliating defeat for Israel

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Hossein Salami

In a message to Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem on Thursday, General Salami extended his congratulations to the Lebanese government, nation, and the Hezbollah fighters for thwarting the Israeli objectives and imposing a ceasefire on the regime.

The IRGC commander described the ceasefire as “a strategic and humiliating defeat” for Israel and pointed out that the regime failed to achieve any of its goals in the war against Hezbollah.

“The Israeli regime did not even come close to achieving any of its evil goals, aspirations, and desires,” he stated.

The senior commander noted that the ceasefire, declared on Wednesday, “disrupted regional political calculations and demonstrated that honor and resistance are sustained through courageous actions rooted in faith.”

General Salami emphasized that the acceptance of the ceasefire under the relentless attacks of Hezbollah highlights the regime’s decline and serves as a lesson to its supporters.

He suggested that, “The ceasefire could also signal the beginning of a ceasefire and the end of the war in Gaza,” which started last October and has left over 44,000 thousand Palestinians dead.

NATO chief says Ukraine not in strong position to negotiate with Russia

By
IFP Media Wire
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Putin and Zelensky

In an interview with Fox News’s Brian Kilmeade, Rutte stressed the importance of striking a favorable deal for Ukraine, saying it will set a precedent for nations who have similar goals to Russia.

“I think that’s crucial that we have a good deal because the whole world will be watching what type of deal will be struck between Russia and Ukraine when it comes to it,” Rutte said.

“We have to make sure that Ukraine is in a position of more strength than they are at the moment,” Rutte added, “so that a deal can be struck which is favorable not to the Russians — and therefore to China, North Korea and Iran — because they all will be watching.”

Rutte pointed to Chinese President Xi Jinping as someone who will be following the power dynamics that emerge from any negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

“He’ll be very much interested who comes out on top of this,” Rutte said about Xi.

“And if it is the Russians, that will pose a threat long term, so we have to make sure that Ukraine is in a position where they can start these talks, and obviously then we have to take it step by step, make sure that Vladimir Putin comes on board,” he added.

Rutte, in the interview, presented himself as aligned with President-elect Donald Trump, who said throughout his campaign that he would end the Russia-Ukraine war before he even enters office. He added he spoke to Trump last Friday and praised him for pushing NATO to spend more on defense, saying Trump “is right” to do so.

Rutte sidestepped a question on whether he is prepared to get Putin to the negotiating table — or whether he expects Trump to do so — saying instead that it would be a collective effort once Ukraine is in a stronger position to begin talks.

“We have to make sure … that Ukrainians can discuss the future of their country from this position of strength, so that has to be Ukraine to the table,” Rutte said.

“But they will only do that when they feel that they can get something out of that.”

“At this moment, they are really on the back foot,” he added about Ukraine.

Rutte stated he is confident that he and the Trump administration will convince Putin to negotiate.

“We will be able to get Putin to the table because he will sense that, ultimately, it is in his interest not to continue the fight.”

Rutte shot down the possibility of deploying NATO troops to the region — as Russia gains support from allied countries’ militant groups.

“You do not want to get in a direct confrontation with allies being a party to the conflict. I don’t think that is wise,” Rutte continued.

“What you need to do is to make sure that the Ukrainians can take this fight forward, can make sure that they get in a position of strength whenever it gets to talks, and that means that we have to supply them with the weapons they need to do that, to get in a position of strength, whenever the talk starts.”

“But then clearly, we have to make sure that the deal being struck is a good deal, and that we do not give in to Iran, China, North Korea and Russia,” Rutte added, noting, “It is really crucial for the future of all of us to make sure that that doesn’t happen.”

Iran condemns “unfounded” G7’s claims

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Esmael baghaei

Baqai has categorically rejected and condemned the baseless claims made in a section of the statement issued by the G7 foreign ministers on Tuesday in Rome against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He emphasized that the content of this statement reflects the illegal, unjust, unilateral, discriminatory, and coercive approaches of the G7 group, particularly some of its members, which have caused irreparable damage to international peace and security.

He pointed out that a clear example of the consequences of this irresponsible approach is the comprehensive support from certain G7 members for the genocide and warmongering of the occupying Israeli regime in Gaza and Lebanon.

Baqai added that unfortunately, influential members of the G7 have severely undermined the principle of the rule of law in international relations through their dual and selective behaviors regarding various international issues.

The spokesperson referred to the global community’s demand for attention to justice, fairness, respect for human dignity, and adherence to international law principles and rules. He stressed that the G7 neither represents the international community nor holds any moral standing to preach about human rights violations globally, especially in occupied Palestine and Lebanon, due to its hypocritical actions regarding gross violations of human rights and humanitarian law.

He also strongly dismissed the unfounded and repetitive allegations mentioned in the aforementioned statement regarding Iran’s arms shipments to Russia, regional tensions, and human rights conditions in Iran.

He stressed that Iran’s legitimate right to respond to any foreign aggression based on its inherent right to self-defense—an established principle in the UN Charter and international law—asserting that Iran is entitled to respond to Israeli regime aggression against its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Baqai clarified that unfortunately, the G7 has reversed the roles of perpetrator and victim by adopting an irresponsible and unethical policy that contradicts international law principles, harms regional peace and security, and completely ignores the crimes of the Israeli regime in the region. This has led to accusations directed at authentic resistance groups that are entitled under international law to fight for their right to self-determination and liberate their nations from occupation and apartheid rule.

In conclusion, diplomat emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran will spare no effort in fulfilling its responsibilities towards regional security and stability.

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