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Israeli forces fired at peacekeepers’ watchtower in Lebanon: UN

In a statement on X, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said its peacekeepers “observed an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) Merkava tank firing at their watchtower. Two cameras were destroyed, and the tower was damaged”.

“Yet again we see direct and apparently deliberate fire on a UNIFIL position,” the post read.

The incident is the latest in a series of Israeli attacks and violations against peacekeepers in Lebanon and comes as Israel expands its bombardment and ground attacks on the country, killing hundreds of people and displacing nearly a quarter of the population.

On Sunday, UNIFIL noted Israeli troops “forcibly entered” a UNIFIL position near the village of Ramyah, crossing the UN-mandated Blue Line, the de facto border between Israel and Lebanon, with two tanks. Israeli troops later fired smoke rounds near peacekeepers, leaving 15 personnel suffering from skin irritation and gastrointestinal issues. UNIFIL also reported that Israeli troops obstructed a critical logistical movement near Meiss el-Jabal on Saturday.

It came as Israel’s foreign minister claimed Tel Aviv has “no intention” of harming the United Nations’ peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon. The Israeli government has also demanded that UNIFIL leave its positions in southern Lebanon, claiming the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah is using peacekeepers as “human shields”, but the peacekeeping force has refused to do so.

Hezbollah denies Israel’s accusation that it uses the proximity of peacekeepers to protect its fighters.

The UN has announced the Israeli military has fired on its peacekeepers multiple times, forcibly entered a base, stopped a critical logistical movement, and injured more than a dozen of its troops in southern Lebanon in recent weeks.

“We remind the IDF and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times,” the UNIFIL statement read.

At least 2,367 people have been killed in Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, and 11,109 wounded, since October 8, 2023, the ministry said.

According to the Health Ministry, over 100 paramedics have been killed by Israeli airstrikes since October 8 and more than 220 have been injured. The strikes have also destroyed 128 ambulances and fire trucks and damaged at least 10 hospitals and 45 medical centers.

On Wednesday, 16 EU countries that contribute soldiers to the UN’s peacekeeping mission called for revised rules of engagement in Lebanon, saying they need to be more effective in light of recent attacks.

Iran’s nuclear official says Tehran ready for all scenarios in face of Israel’s threats

Iran nuclear program

“The attack and threats of attack on Iran’s nuclear sites are not new,” Kamalvandi stated, highlighting a history of sabotage and attacks dating back to years ago.

“[Former US president] Barack Obama explicitly stated that if he could, he would even unscrew the nuts and bolts of Iran’s nuclear industry,” he added.

“Up to now, they have done everything they could against Iran’s nuclear industry. If there is something they have not done, it is because they could not do it, not because they did not want to.”

He emphasized that Iran takes such threats seriously and has taken proactive measures to minimize potential damage.

“Accordingly, we have designed and anticipated in such a way that even in the event of their folly, damages will be minimized. Today, we are in a position to announce that in the event of the enemy’s folly, regardless of the response that Iran’s military forces will give, the Atomic Energy Organization has also adhered to principles and taken actions that even in the event of an attack, they cannot achieve anything.”

Israeli media reported that the regime is bracing to respond to Iran’s retaliatory attack on October 1, which involved the launching of almost 200 ballistic missiles at military bases in the occupied territories. Multiple Israeli politicians and Zionist analysts have suggested striking Iran’s nuclear facilities and energy sites.

Kamalvandi further emphasized the unlikelihood of a successful attack, noting that even if such an event were to occur, the damage would be minimal and quickly mitigated due to Iran’s expertise and readily available plans.

“First, it is highly unlikely that such an event will occur. Second, if such folly were to happen, it is very unlikely that they would cause serious damage to Iran. Third, even if damage occurs, the country can quickly compensate for it because knowledge resides in the minds of our specialists and scientists. We are proficient in technology; plans are available and exist on paper; they only need to be executed. Therefore, these threats are not serious or concerning to us, but we have always been vigilant and will continue to be,” the spokesperson concluded.

US announces new Ukraine military aid package

Western Weapons Russia Ukraine War

The package includes missiles for the NASAMS and Stinger air defense systems, rockets for HIMARS launchers, and artillery shells. The US will continue to work with “some 50 Allies and partners” to “meet Ukraine’s urgently needed battlefield requirements”, the White House said.

President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky by phone on Wednesday, promising to “intensify security assistance planning alongside international partners in order to ensure that Ukraine has the equipment it needs to prevail”, according to a readout of the call.

Zelensky thanked the US for its support. “The leadership of President Biden in uniting the world and the firm bipartisan support in America have been crucial and helped Ukraine to prevail and defend our independence,” he wrote on Telegram.

The Ukrainian leader unveiled a five-point “victory plan” on Wednesday, which is yet to be formally endorsed by Kiev’s Western backers. NATO countries have so far declined Zelensky’s requests to immediately invite Ukraine to join the US-led alliance, or to lift restrictions on the use of Western-supplied longer-range weapons for strikes deep inside Russia.

Ukraine has argued that these restrictions, together with delays in weapons deliveries, have contributed to its recent setbacks on the battlefield, as Russian troops have been steadily gaining ground in the Donbass.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has dismissed Zelensky’s proposals as a “set of incoherent slogans”. Moscow has repeatedly said that the conflict can only be settled on its terms.

UK says exploring sanctions against two Israeli ministers

Smotrich and Ben-Gvir

Previous foreign secretary David Cameron had planned to sanction Smotrich and Ben-Gvir before his then-governing Conservative Party lost an election in July, and Starmer told parliament he too was looking at the option.

Starmer was responding to a question about Smotrich’s comments that starving civilians in Gaza might be justified and Ben-Gvir’s remarks that perpetrators of settler violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank were heroes.

“We are looking at that because they’re obviously abhorrent comments,” the prime minister said.

In defiant statements, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir each said the threat of sanctions would not lead to a change in their positions.

“They don’t scare me and I will continue to act only according to Israel’s highest national interests,” Ben-Gvir said in a statement, while Smotrich said “no threat will prevent me from doing the right and moral thing for the citizens of Israel.”

Starmer was speaking ahead of an urgent meeting at the United Nations Security Council to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza called by Britain, France and Algeria.

Starmer’s government has taken a slightly tougher line on Israel since it was elected, although it supports Israel’s right to defend itself.

It has limited some arms export licences to Israel, saying there was a risk that certain equipment might be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law.

On Tuesday, it also announced new sanctions on Israeli settler organisations it said had sponsored violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

IRGC chief warns Iran will strike Israel ‘painfully’

He issued the warning while addressing a crowd in the central Iranian city of Isfahan during the funeral procession of the IRGC commander Major General Abbas Nilforoushan, who was assassinated in an Israeli strike along with Hezbollah chief Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut last month.

Major General Hossein Salami said, “We carried out Operation True Promise 2 to make you recalibrate your calculations.”

“If you make a mistake and attack our targets, whether in the region or in Iran, we will strike you again painfully,” General Salami warned.

The remarks came following the escalating tensions in the region after Israel vowed to respond to Iran’s attack on October 1 involving around 200 ballistic missiles, which General Salami warned will beget further Iranian retaliation.

The top commander stated that Israel made a miscalculation by the assassination of leaders of Hamas, Hezbollah and advised the Israeli regime not to “repeat the same mistake.”

“To each point you attack, there will be painful retaliation to the same point on your side; decide carefully,” he stressed.

He also lauded General Nilforoushan as a “great commander and thinker” who was involved in designing strategies against Israel.

Spokesperson stresses Iran’s commitment to peaceful nuclear activities

Iran nuclear programe

Baghaei has strongly slammed the repeated unfounded claims about three Iranian islands in the final statement of the EU-Persian Gulf Cooperation Council joint summit.

He stated such claims are clear indications of the member countries’ disregard for the principles and objectives of the UN Charter, particularly the principle of respecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The spokesperson emphasized, “The three islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb, and the Lesser Tunb are an inseparable part of Iranian territory and will remain so.”

“Using misleading concepts or repeating false and deceptive claims about this significant part of Iran’s territory changes nothing about the reality,” he added.

He reiterated that the Islamic Republic of Iran considers the islands an integral part of its territory and exercises its national sovereignty over them, while respecting the principles of the UN Charter and good neighborliness.

Baghaei expressed regret that some regional countries focus on false territorial claims against a neighboring country instead of addressing the most urgent issue of the Islamic world, region, and the world, namely the continued genocide of the oppressed people of Palestine and the Zionist regime’s aggression in Lebanon.

He noted, “It was expected that the regional countries would use the opportunity of the joint summit with EU leaders, some of whom are major suppliers of weapons and political support to the apartheid regime of Israel, to hold them accountable and stop Israel’s genocide and aggressions, urging the occupying regime’s supporters to refrain from collaborating with it.”

Baghaei also highlighted the importance of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s defense capabilities as essential for exercising its inherent right to self-defense and deterring threats and ambitions of rogue and warmongering parties, and safegaurding regional security and stability.

He stated, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has always used its military capabilities responsibly only for legitimate defense, adhering to the principles and rules of international law and the UN Charter.”

The spokesperson reaffirmed the peaceful nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear activities, slamming the doubts cast on Iran’s nuclear program as biased, baseless, and unacceptable.

Baghaei reminded European countries that they are also to blame for the failure to implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal due to their inaction and submission to U.S. exploitative demands during then president Donald Trump’s administration.

Highlighting the critical regional conditions and the serious threats to peace and security due to the Israeli genocide and ongoing aggression on Gaza and Lebanon, Baghaei called on regional countries to prioritize putting an end to the killing of innocent people in Palestine and Lebanon and destroying their infrastructure and to cooperate for a coordinated action to stop the Zionist regime’s warmongering.

Baghaei attributed the change in the European countries’ tone regarding the trio Iranian islands to their policy of appeasement and submission to the Zionist regime.

He advised the European Union to avoid falling into old habits, such as the tendency for divisive interference in the West Asia region, and urged them to allow the countries of the region to resolve any misunderstandings or concerns directly and in a positive atmosphere through respectful dialogue.

US says Houthi weapon storage facilities targeted in B-2 attacks

“This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified,” Austin stated.

“The employment of US Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers demonstrate US global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere.”

Austin added he authorized the strikes at the direction of President Joe Biden in order to “further degrade” the Houthis’ ability after more than a year of attacks by the Houthis on US and international vessels in the region. The facilities were holding “various weapons components” of weapons used to target vessels in the Middle East.

“We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that there will be consequences for their illegal and reckless attacks,” he continued.

Since the onset of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, the Yemeni group has been conducting numerous strikes against the occupied territories. It has also carried out dozens of attacks on ships with links to the regime in a show of solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s military onslaught against the besieged enclave.

Houthis have stressed that they will not stop their attacks until unrelenting Israeli ground and aerial offensives in Gaza end.

Tehran denies ports of Afghans killed while sneaking into Iran 

Hossein Kazemi Qomi said on X that direct follow-ups through credible sources show that the report was false.

He however noted that Iran has a right to deal with foreign nationals trying to enter Iran illegally.

Kazemi Qomi also said Iran is determined to return all illegal refugees to their country but it will do so in line with international law and in a responsible manner based on its policy of neighborliness and Islamic compassion.

Iran says it will expell two million illegal Afghan refugees by the next 5 months.

Reports say Iran is hosting 10 million Afghan refugees.

Oman decries west’s double standards on Israeli atrocities in Gaza, Lebanon

In a telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday, the Sultan of Oman praised Iran’s policies on regional issues.

Pointing to the Israeli crimes against Gaza and Lebanon, the Omani leader stressed the need for certain Western governments to avoid double standards on the issue.

He also described support for the rights of people of Gaza and Lebanon as one of Oman’s top priorities and concerns, adding, “Oman has always emphasized that the continuation of support from Western countries for the Israeli crimes is by no means acceptable or justifiable.”

For his part, Pezeshkian said unity among Islamic nations will discourage the Zionist regime from committing crimes easily and prevent the US and Westerners from sponsoring it.

The Iranian president also praised Oman’s stances against the Zionist atrocities in Gaza and Lebanon, calling for mounting pressures on the sponsors of Israel to stop the regime’s carnage and crimes.

In Gaza, at least 42,400 people have been killed and 99,150 wounded in Israeli attacks since October 2023.

The death toll from Israel’s ongoing onslaught on Lebanon since last year has also surged to 2,350, the Lebanese Health Ministry announced on Tuesday.

French NGO files complaint against Macron for “complicity in Israel’s war crimes” in West Asia

France Macron

EuroPalestine shared a video on X on Tuesday, in which the NGO founder, activist Olivia Zemor explained the steps they took.

In a notice, the NGO filed a complaint in some way against French President Emmanuel Macron, former Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, and former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, for complicity in Israel’s “war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes of genocide” in the besieged enclave.

EuroPalestine submitted to the ICJ the evidence regarding the French officials’ alleged involvement, according to Zemor’s explanation.

She noted that the French officials were accomplices by unconditionally supporting the Israeli government on the military, diplomatic, and economic levels since Oct. 2023.

EuroPalestine submitted to the court a 27-page file, saying that those French officials not only did not prevent but encouraged the Israeli authorities to commit those crimes.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since last year’s Hamas attack, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 42,300 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 99,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.