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‘Secret’ Ukraine meeting set for Spain: El Mundo

By
IFP Media Wire
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The organizers are reportedly maintaining “utmost secrecy” for the event planned for November 4, instructing delegates from 35 countries to leave their cell phones in a designated room and refrain from posting about the gathering on social media, according to a government document cited by the outlet.

Participants are expected to discuss ways to increase military and financial aid for Kiev, as well as possible security guarantees. They will also coordinate additional pressure on Russia. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares is set to attend, El Mundo reported.

The Kremlin argued earlier this month that Ukrainian forces could not have conducted strikes on energy facilities deep inside Russia without direct support from Western intelligence services. Moscow has said that Western military assistance will only serve to escalate the conflict without altering the situation on the battlefield.

US President Donald Trump has recently declined to provide Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, warning against depleting the US arsenal. He also indefinitely postponed his planned in-person summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Hungary.

 

Iran’s FM warns Israel of “heavy, irreparable” defeat in any new war

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Abbas Araghchi

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi said Iran has taken lessons from recent hostilities.

He added, “We are more prepared at all levels, and Israel will experience another defeat in any future war”.

The top Iranian diplomat went on to say that the Islamic Republic learned a great deal from the recent war and tested its missiles in real battlefield conditions.

Araghchi further said the Zionist regime attempted to widen the conflict by striking Iranian energy installations, noting Tehran successfully managed the confrontation and prevented its spillover across the region.

He also said that Israel would not have dared to attack Iran without a US green light and described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal”.

The foreign minister maintained that Zionist regime is the region’s true adversary.

On diplomacy, Araghchi said Iran is “ready to negotiate” to allay concerns about its nuclear program and stressed its peaceful nature, while criticizing Washington for imposing “unacceptable, coercive” conditions.

He however stated that Iran will not negotiate over its missile program.

“We will not negotiate about our missile program…no sensible person would accept disarmament”.

Araghchi also underlined that what was not taken by war will not be surrendered by politics. He added Iran prefers indirect talks with the US and confirmed that nuclear material remains under rubble at bombed facilities and has not been moved elsewhere.

Turkish prosecutors hand several people life sentences over ski resort blaze

By
IFP Media Wire
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Among those sentenced on Friday were Halit Ergul – the owner of the Grand Kartal Hotel, which sits in the Kartalkaya ski resort about 295km (183 miles) east of Istanbul – according to state-run broadcaster TRT Haber.

The court also sentenced Ergul’s wife, Emine Ergul, and their daughters, Elif Aras and Ceyda Hacibekiroglu – all of whom were part of the hotel’s management team.

The deadly blaze broke out overnight in the restaurant of the Grand Kartal on January 21, quickly engulfing the 12-storey hotel, where 238 guests were staying.

Thirty-four children were among 78 people killed in the fire, which occurred during the school holidays when many families from Ankara and Istanbul head to the Bolu mountains to ski.

Another 137 people suffered injuries during the incident, as panicked hotel guests were forced to jump from windows in the middle of the night.

Also sentenced on Friday were the hotel’s general manager, Emir Aras, as well as the deputy mayor of Bolu, Sedat Gulener, and the director of another hotel, Ahmet Demir, both of whom were reportedly on the board of directors of the company that owned the Grand Kartal.

There are a total of 32 defendants in the trial, 20 of whom are in pre-trial detention, according to TRT. It’s unclear when the remaining defendants will appear in court.

In total, the convicted were handed 34 aggravated life sentences for the 34 children killed in the disaster. Those in the courtroom greeted the announcement with applause.

The fire sparked nationwide anger in Turkiye, with questions raised over safety measures in place at the hotel after survivors said no fire alarms went off during the incident, and they had to navigate smoke-filled corridors in complete darkness.

Under pressure to act, Turkish authorities quickly arrested nine people in connection with the blaze, while the government appointed six prosecutors to lead an investigation.

Speaking to reporters outside the still-smoking hotel, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya pledged that those “responsible for causing this pain will not escape justice”.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a day of national mourning, as he served as a pallbearer at a funeral ceremony for the victims the following day.

 

Iran’s deputy FM says negotiations with pre-set results hold no value

By
IFP Media Wire
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Majid Takht-e Ravanchi

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Takht-Ravanchi said the United States has shown no genuine willingness to engage in talks grounded on equality, leaving Iran with no reason to continue negotiations under current conditions.

He revealed that Tehran had been in indirect, Oman-mediated negotiations with Washington when Israel launched its military assault against Iran—an act he condemned as a “blatant betrayal” of the diplomatic process.

Earlier this year, Iran and the US held five rounds of indirect talks in Italy and Oman over Tehran’s nuclear program, before Israel’s attack in June derailed the diplomatic momentum.

The US subsequently joined the aggression and targeted Iranian nuclear sites under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supervision.

Referring to his recent visit to Muscat, Takht-Ravanchi said he met with Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi on Thursday to reiterate Iran’s clear position on the nuclear issue.

“We underscored that negotiations should be constructive and their results must not be predetermined. The outcome should depend on the negotiation process itself and the cooperative spirit of the parties involved,” he stated.

In a post on X, Takht-Ravanchi described his trip to Oman as “short but successful,” noting that Thursday had been “a busy day in Muscat.”

He said he held “fruitful” discussions with the Omani foreign minister and his deputy Sheikh Khalifa Alharthy on bilateral, regional, and international topics.

“Oman is a trusted neighbor and a vital partner with whom we share excellent relations and historic ties,” he emphasized.

The Iranian diplomat also mentioned his productive meetings with Mohammed Abdul-Salam, head of Yemen’s negotiating delegation and spokesman for the Ansarullah movement, as well as with the UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg.

 

Venezuela pursuing military aid from Iran, Russia, China: WaPo

By
IFP Media Wire
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According to the newspaper, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro sent a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping requesting radar detectors and directly citing the “escalation” with the US.

Caracas also reportedly urged Iran to provide radar-jamming equipment and drones capable of flying up to 1,000km (around 600 miles).

The Washington Post cited documents indicating that Venezuelan Transport Minister Ramon Celestino Velazquez was set to deliver a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip to Moscow last month, requesting unspecified missiles and assistance in repairing Su-30MK2 fighter jets and radar systems previously purchased by Venezuela.

The report added that it is unclear how Russia, China, or Iran responded to the requests.

US President Donald Trump has accused Maduro of operating “macroterrorist” cartels that smuggle drugs into the US and has offered a bounty for his arrest.

Washington has deployed a naval armada in the western Caribbean, and since September, has conducted strikes in international waters against more than a dozen alleged cartel vessels.

Maduro has denied the allegations and accused Trump of “fabricating a new war.”

Yemen’s Houthis say detained UN staff will be tried over Israeli links

By
IFP Media Wire
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Yemen Houthis

Abdulwahid Abu Ras, Yemen’s acting foreign minister, told the Reuters news agency on Friday that a cell within the UN’s World Food Programme was involved in directly targeting the government.

The Houthi prime minister and nine other ministers were killed in an Israeli strike on the capital Sanaa in August, the first such attack to kill senior officials.

The UN, which has repeatedly rejected Houthi accusations, announced on Friday that a total of 36 UN employees were arrested after Israel’s attack. It noted that at least 59 UN personnel are being held by the group.

Abu Ras told Reuters that security agencies were acting “under full judicial supervision” and that public prosecutors were being kept informed “step by step”. It was certain, he added, that the process would lead “to trials and the issuance of judicial rulings”.

Separately, Nasruddin Amer, a senior Houthi official, told the dpa news agency on Friday that the detained UN workers would be tried on charges of spying for Israel.

“The judiciary will determine the penalty for those accused of spying for Israel in accordance with Yemeni law,” Amer continued, adding, “This is not a law we enacted. It is a law that has been in effect and applied in the country by previous regimes.”

The UN defendants are Yemenis and could face the death penalty under the nation’s laws.

Hundreds of UN personnel, including a small number of international staff, remain in parts of Houthi-controlled Yemen, according to Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary general.

Houthi security forces entered several UN offices in Sanaa on Sunday. The UN says it is operating under increasingly difficult conditions, hindering its ability to provide assistance to those in need in Yemen.

Amer told dpa: “The trial is not against the organisations, but against those who exploited humanitarian work to carry out espionage against our country and our people.”

Abu Ras claimed that the Houthis are supporting humanitarian provision, and will “assist organisations committed to the principles of humanitarian work, facilitating their activities and work”.

There was no immediate comment from the World Food Programme.

Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, the Houthis have targeted vessels in the Red Sea and carried out drone and missile attacks against Israel, saying that they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians under fire in Gaza.

Israel has regularly struck the war-torn country, targeting civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings and the main international airport, while killing dozens at a time.

Last month, Israeli strikes on Sanaa and the northern province of al-Jawf killed dozens of people, including journalists and children.

 

Professor Samii: No surgical intervention possible for Iranian comatose volleyball star Saber Kazemi

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Kazemi’s medical file was sent to Professor Samii for expert evaluation following the player’s critical condition after receiving an electric shock in a swimming pool in Qatar.

The news of the 25-year-old national team player’s severe brain injury has deeply shocked Iran’s sports community. Kazemi, regarded as one of the brightest talents in Iranian volleyball, remains under intensive care with an extremely low level of consciousness.

Earlier, the Medical Commission of the Volleyball Federation stated that his condition met the criteria for brain death, prompting an outpouring of prayers and messages of hope from fans and athletes.

However, Amirhossein Monazemi, the federation’s secretary-general, later clarified that Kazemi’s heart continues to beat with mechanical support while doctors work to maintain vital organ functions.

According to the latest reports, physicians describe his chances of recovery as minimal but not impossible.

The Al Rayyan Club of Qatar, with which Kazemi had signed for the current season, has not yet issued an official statement, reportedly out of respect for the player’s family and ongoing treatment.

Lawyer Confirms Iranian actor Pejman Jamshidi’s trip to Canada, denies rumors of migration

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Pejman Jamshidi

Kambiz Barjas, Jamshidi’s attorney, told Fars News Agency that the trip was for family reasons, noting that Jamshidi’s father, sister, and other relatives live abroad.

“He has gone to Canada to visit his family and will return to Iran whenever necessary,” Barjas said.

He clarified that the judiciary has not issued any travel bans or supervision orders against Jamshidi, emphasizing that the actor has attended all required court sessions and that the preliminary investigation of his case has concluded. “There is no restriction preventing him from leaving the country, and he has traveled abroad several times in recent months,” Barjas added.

The lawyer also dismissed speculation about a heavy bail, saying it was provided by Jamshidi himself and approved by the appeals court.
He denied reports that Jamshidi is barred from working, stating that he remains active in several film projects.

Barjas criticized “false and speculative reports” by certain domestic and foreign media, describing them as “media hype without legal basis.”

Iran designates Azar 9 as national day of Persian Gulf trio islands

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

The decision marks the inclusion of this day in the country’s official calendar.

According to the Navy, the initiative honors the memory of Iranian servicemen who lost their lives during the 1971 operation that restored the islands to Iranian control.

The move also aims to reinforce Iran’s sovereign symbols in the Persian Gulf and counter “baseless territorial claims” by other countries.

The proposal was finalized through coordination between the Iranian Navy’s Legal Department and the Ministry of Culture.

The islands, located in the Persian Gulf, were under British occupation for roughly 70 years before being retaken by Iran in 1971. Three Iranian sailors were killed during the operation.

The Navy announced that this year’s inaugural National Day of the Three Islands will be commemorated with a ceremony attended by senior military commanders, families of the fallen servicemen, and national and local officials.

Iran transfers economic authority to governors to expand regional Trade despite sanctions

By
IFP Media Wire
-

Iran’s Deputy Interior Minister for Economic Coordination and Regional Development announced that, as part of efforts to counter the effects of sanctions, certain executive powers have been handed over to provincial governors to enhance local trade with neighboring countries.

Mehdi Dousti noted that additional powers are also being transferred to further strengthen economic ties between Iran’s provinces and Dousti highlighted the importance of strategic planning to offset the impact of sanctions and the “trigger mechanism,” saying that the Islamic Republic has devised a comprehensive plan to cushion its economy and bolster national resilience.

He pointed out that Iran borders 15 countries and that 16 of its provinces have vast potential for trade with them. “Several of these nations can supply Iran with essential goods such as food, while Iran can in return meet their energy needs,” he explained.

Dousti emphasized that the expansion of regional cooperation is not merely an attempt to evade sanctions, but rather a strategic effort to render them ineffective in line with the country’s broader national policies and the guidance of the Supreme Leader.

“The necessary frameworks have been created,” he added, “and part of the authority has already been devolved to governors to facilitate provincial trade with neighboring nations.”

The deputy minister concluded that reinforcing regional and economic linkages represents the most effective route toward neutralizing sanctions and easing external pressures on Iran’s economy.

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