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US putting its forces at risk by sending them to Israel: Iran

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IFP Media Wire
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“While we have made tremendous efforts in recent days to contain an all-out war in our region, I say it clearly that we have no red lines in defending our people and interests,” he wrote in a post on X.

Araghchi noted the United States has sent record volumes of arms to Israel during its war on the Gaza Strip.

Washington is putting lives of its soldiers at risk by deploying them to Israel in order to operate US missile systems.

The comments come amid news reports that the US is considering sending its advanced THAAD missile defence system to Israel in order to defend it against a potential Iranian response to a looming Israeli attack on Iran. The system requires US personnel on the ground to operate it.

Netanyahu calls on UN to evacuate peacekeepers from Lebanon

By
IFP Media Wire
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UNIFIL

“Mr. secretary-general, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. It should be done right now, immediately,” Netanyahu said in a video statement issued by his office.

Netanyahu said the military had asked the UN to evacuate the soldiers repeatedly, adding that their presence in the area made them hostages of Hezbollah.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has slammed Netanyahu’s demand for UN chief Antonio Guterres to move UN peacekeepers away from the border.

Beirut “condemns Netanyahu’s position and the Israeli aggression against UNIFIL” peacekeepers, Mikati said.

“The warning that Netanyahu addressed to … Guterres demanding the removal of the UNIFIL represents a new chapter in the enemy’s approach of not complying with international [norms]”, he added.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), is a mission of about 9,500 troops of various nationalities and was created following Israel’s 1978 invasion of Lebanon.

It is currently tasked with monitoring a ceasefire that ended a 33-day war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah.

Netanyahu’s appeal comes a day after the UN forces in Lebanon refused to withdraw from the border area despite five of its members being wounded in Israeli fire in recent days.

Forty countries whose soldiers serve as United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon say they “strongly condemn” recent attacks on peacekeepers by Israel, in a joint statement released on Saturday.

The statement was posted on X by Poland’s mission to the UN, after the UNIFIL reported a fifth member of the peacekeeping force was injured in southern Lebanon on Friday.

“Such actions must stop immediately and should be adequately investigated,” the statement said, adding: “We urge the parties of the conflict to respect UNIFIL’s presence, which entails the obligation to guarantee the safety and security of its personnel at all times.”

Co-signatories of the statement include the UK, France, India, Germany and Spain.

Since Thursday, UNIFIL reported that two peacekeepers were injured after an Israeli tank fired toward its observation tower in Naqoura, causing it to collapse. On Friday UNIFIL announced two more were hurt after two explosions near the observation tower.

Sri Lanka and Indonesia, whose nationals were among the injured, condemned the incidents.

On Friday a fifth peacekeeper was hit by gunfire at its headquarters in Naqoura due to ongoing military activity nearby, according to a UNIFIL statement released on Saturday.

Iran condemns ‘illegal and unjustified’ US sanctions on energy sector

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IFP Media Wire
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Iran Oil

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghai stated that Iran’s missile attacks against the Zionist regime were lawful and in accordance with international law, exercising the inherent right of self-defense.

He criticized the US for imposing sanctions on several companies and ships allegedly involved in transporting Iranian oil products, calling it a form of ‘payoff’ to the rogue Israeli regime.

The spokesperson highlighted the United States’ destructive and negative role in the security and stability of West Asia.

He noted, “The US, as the main political supporter and primary supplier of weapons used by Israel in the genocide in Gaza and the aggression against Lebanon, is complicit in the most severe international crimes committed by Israel. “

“Imposing sanctions on Iran under the pretext of supporting Israel not only creates international responsibility for the US government but also emboldens the occupying regime to continue its slaughter of innocents and threatening regional and global peace and security,” the spokesperson added.

Baghai emphasized Iran’s right to respond appropriately to US sanctions.

“The US regime’s addiction to the policy of maximum pressure and threats against the Iranian nation will not affect the Islamic Republic of Iran’s determination to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interests, and citizens against any aggressive actions and foreign intrusions.”

The United States has imposed sanctions on companies and vessels that are allegedly engaged in trading and transporting Iranian oil, following Tehran’s recent missile attack on Israel.

Tehran fired a barrage of missiles at Israel on October 1 in retaliation for the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the assassinations of Hezbollah leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah and an Iranian general in Beirut.

The measures add Iran’s oil and petrochemical industries to a list of sectors that Washington says Tehran uses to fund its ballistic missiles and nuclear programmes, allowing further sanctions against them.

But Iranian oil and petrochemicals are already under heavy US sanctions.

The most recent penalties appear to be aimed at tightening the enforcement of the restrictions on Iranian exports, while sending a message of support for Israel after the missile attack.

EU joins criticism of Israel’s attempts to ban UNRWA

By
IFP Media Wire
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UNRWA

Earlier this week, an Israeli parliamentary committee approved a bill that would ban UNRWA from operating in the occupied territories and end all contact between the government and the UN agency. The bill needs final approval from the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.

“The European Union expresses its grave concern about the draft bill on UNRWA currently discussed in the Israeli parliament,” it said in a statement released on Saturday.

The EU emphasised its strong support for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s position regarding the draft bill that, if passed, could have “disastrous consequences” for the UN agency’s ability to assist and protect Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza.

“The EU urges the Israeli authorities to ensure that UNRWA is allowed to continue carrying out its crucial work in line with its mandate adopted by the UN General Assembly,” the EU noted.

“UNRWA provides essential services to millions of people in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and across the region, including Lebanon, Syria and Jordan and is a pillar of regional stability. It also plays a fundamental role in ensuring the conditions on the ground for a credible pathway towards the two-State solution.”

Israel has campaigned for years against UNRWA, the main organisation delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians in occupied Palestinian territory and providing services for Palestinian refugees in other countries since 1949, claiming it has connections with “terrorists” and lobbying for its closure.

Earlier this year,Tel Aviv alleged that some of the agency’s staff participated in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on Israel, leading more than a dozen international donors to suspend support.

The UN launched an investigation into Israel’s accusations and dismissed nine staff, while the records of others were still being reviewed. However, most donors have since reinstated funding.

Top diplomat: Some European countries participating in war against Iran by supporting Israel

By
IFP Media Wire
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In a message on X, Araghchi once again denied allegations that Iran has transferred ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the Ukraine war.

Referring to his meeting with Josep Borrell, Vice-President of the European Commission, and his deputy Enrique Mora in New York, the top diplomat said, “I reaffirmed that we did not provide Russia with ballistic missiles, and if Europe needs an excuse to yield to Israeli pressure, they should come up with a different story.”

The Iranian foreign minister added that military cooperation between Iran and Russia is not a new development, stating that it predates the Ukraine conflict.

He also noted that the US policy of so-called “maximum pressure” remains in effect, as economic institutions in Europe continue to follow directives from the US Treasury Department.

Iran tells US, regional states it will retaliate against any new Israeli attack

By
IFP Media Wire
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Iran Missile Attack Israel

Iran has informed the United States and some countries in the Middle East that it will retaliate against any new attack by Israel, “contrary to some false news”, a source in Tehran with knowledge of the diplomatic discussions told CNN on Saturday.

Tehran has also warned Persian Gulf Arab states against any military support to Israel or the use of airspace in a potential Israeli military response to Iran’s recent missile attack.

“Iran made it clear that any action by a Persian Gulf country against Tehran, whether through the use of airspace or military bases, will be regarded by Tehran as an action taken by the entire group, and Tehran will respond accordingly. Any assistance to Israel, such as allowing the use of a regional country’s airspace for actions against Iran, is unacceptable,” a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Friday.

This warning came as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Qatar on October 3, the official added. Iran’s top diplomat, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, will discuss this topic in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

“The message emphasized the need for regional unity against Israel and the importance of securing stability,” the official continued. According to him, Iran did not discuss the issue of Persian Gulf Arab oil producers increasing output if Iranian production was disrupted during any escalation.

A Western diplomat in the region confirmed Iran’s warning in an interview with Reuters. He said that Tehran would watch closely how each Persian Gulf country responded in the event of an Israeli attack, and also how US bases housed in these countries were used. The news agency specified that there are US military facilities or troops in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Last week, Iran launched 200 missiles towards Israeli military and intelligence bases all over the occupied territories as part of Operation True Promise II in response to the Israeli regime’s deadly aggression against the country and other regional nations.

The aggression that prompted the retaliation had, among other things, led to the martyrdom of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah’s leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and Abbas Nilforoushan, a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

Back in April too, the country had fired more than 300 missiles and drones against the territories in an operation codenamed True Promise in reprisal for deadly aggression by the regime against Iranian diplomatic facilities in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

Tehran has vowed to respond to potential repetition of the regime’s aggression against the country with multiple magnitude, targeting all of the regime’s infrastructures.

90% of children in Gaza suffered from food poverty: Report

By
IFP Media Wire
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“Human suffering should never be normalized,” the group posted to X on Saturday.

“We must work towards ending this ongoing crisis,” it added.

The World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday said no food has entered northern Gaza since the start of October, putting 1 million people at risk of going hungry.

On Wednesday, the WFP announced in a report that the aid entering the besieged enclave has plummeted to its lowest level in months, forcing the organization to stop the distribution of food parcels in October.

Israel has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza following an attack by Hamas last October, despite a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 42,200 victims have since been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 98,300 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 faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

Dozens of countries that contribute to UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon strongly condemn Israel’s attacks

By
IFP Media Wire
-
UNIFIL

The statement was posted on X by Poland’s mission to the UN, after the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported a fifth member of the peacekeeping force was injured in southern Lebanon on Friday.

“Such actions must stop immediately and should be adequately investigated,” the statement said, adding: “We urge the parties of the conflict to respect UNIFIL’s presence, which entails the obligation to guarantee the safety and security of its personnel at all times.”

Co-signatories of the statement include the UK, France, India, Germany and Spain.

Since Thursday, UNIFIL reported that two peacekeepers were injured after an Israeli tank fired toward its observation tower in Naqoura, causing it to collapse. On Friday UNIFIL announced two more were hurt after two explosions near the observation tower.

Sri Lanka and Indonesia, whose nationals were among the injured, condemned the incidents.

On Friday a fifth peacekeeper was hit by gunfire at its headquarters in Naqoura due to ongoing military activity nearby, according to a UNIFIL statement released on Saturday.

A spokesman for the UN peacekeepers in Lebanon stressed he fears an Israeli escalation against the country could soon spiral out of control.

This risks “turning very soon into a regional conflict with catastrophic impact for everyone”, UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told the AFP news agency, calling for a diplomatic solution.

Israel threatens to attack ambulances in Lebanon

By
IFP Media Wire
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The warning came after Israeli forces hit positions of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), injuring peacekeepers.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee on Saturday claimed that “Hezbollah elements are using ambulances to transport fighters and arms”. He did not provide any proof of his accusation.

“We call on medical teams to avoid contact with Hezbollah members and not to cooperate with them,” he said, adding the Israeli military “affirms that the necessary actions will be taken against any vehicle transporting armed individuals, regardless of its type”.

Another peacekeeper from the UNIFIL was injured in southern Lebanon on Friday evening, UNIFIL said in a statement on Saturday.

UNIFIL announced the peacekeeper was hit by gunfire at its headquarters in the city of Naqoura due to ongoing military activity nearby.

“He underwent surgery at our Naqoura hospital to remove the bullet and is currently stable. We do not yet know the origin of the fire,” the force added.

The peacekeeper was the fifth member of the UN force hurt in southern Lebanon in just two days.

UNIFIL said two peacekeepers were injured after an Israeli Merkava tank fired toward its observation tower in Naqoura on Thursday, causing it to collapse.

On Friday, two more were hurt after two explosions occurred close to the observation tower in Naqoura.

Israeli air attacks continue to intensify across Lebanon, while Hezbollah has responded by launching rockets at Israel.

Since September 23, when Israel expanded its conflict against Hezbollah by bombarding southern Beirut and other strongholds of the group with deadly air attacks, killing almost 1,400 people in Lebanon.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported on Saturday that more Lebanese have now been displaced than during the last major war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, when around 1 million fled their homes.

Iran’s Ardabil produces 29,000 tons of grapes for domestic, int’l markets

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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According to Rahim Yousefi, director of Horticulture at the Agricultural Jihad Organization of Ardabil, the province boasts 41,000 hectares of orchards, yielding over 370,000 tons of produce annually.

Yousefi noted that Ardabil has approximately 2,420 hectares of vineyards, with 95 percent located in Meshgin Shahr County.

He stated that 70 hectares of the vineyards are dry-farmed, while the remainder are irrigated.

Meshgin Shahr alone has 15,000 hectares of orchards, producing 320,000 tons of produce each year for both local and external markets.

The favorable geographic conditions and significant temperature variations between day and night contribute to the exceptional quality of Meshgin Shahr grapes, which are popular for fresh consumption due to their high sugar content of over 27 percent and crispness.

Yousefi highlighted that about 500 hectares of Ardabil’s vineyards have been modernized, tripling the grape yield.

The most commonly grown grape in Meshgin Shahr is the seedless Soltani variety, which has national fame and is also exported to other regions.

The grape harvest in Ardabil, which began over a month ago, has now concluded, marking another successful season for the province’s viticulture industry.

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