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Iran vows to keep window of diplomacy open despite challenges

By
IFP Media Wire
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Abbas Araghchi

Iran’s diplomacy is fundamentally based on defending national dignity and interests, said Araghchi in Tabriz, northwest Iran, on Wednesday.

The country, Araghchi added, will not engage in negotiations with an adversary that resorts to threats and aggression instead of dialogue.

He emphasized that the continuation of any dialogue depends on both parties adhering to diplomacy based on equality and respecting the principle of mutual interests.

Araghchi reflected on the historical role of Iranian diplomats, commending their perseverance and determination in safeguarding a shared Iranian identity and in achieving significant milestones in Iran’s diplomatic history.

In Iran’s political history, he noted, diplomacy has never been merely a temporary tool for managing crises; rather, it represents an enduring and profound rationality.

 

Hamas ruled out role in Gaza governance, but disarmament talks ongoing: Qatar

By
IFP Media Wire
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“Hamas’s response to us was very clear…they are willing to give up the governance,” Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said on Wednesday at a Council on Foreign Relations event in New York City.

“The weapons question, from their (Hamas’s) perspective, this is an obligation on all the factions, not on Hamas only. We are trying to push them [sic] to get to a point where they acknowledge that they need to disarm,” he added.

“We need to make sure that the Palestinians are safe and the Israelis are safe. That is the whole purpose of the decommissioning and disarmament.”

Qatar is one of the guarantors, along with the US, Turkey and Egypt, of the Gaza ceasefire deal that was signed earlier this month. The agreement has been marred by violations, including Israel’s refusal to open the Rafah border crossing and Israeli air strikes on the enclave.

On Tuesday, Israel launched its most devastating strikes on Gaza since the ceasefire was signed. At least 104 Palestinians were killed, including dozens of children, as strikes pummelled Gaza City, Khan Younis, and refugee camps in central Gaza.

Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire, citing an alleged attack on troops in Rafah on Tuesday that left one soldier dead, and delays in handing over the bodies of dead captives.

Thani stressed that the attack was “very disappointing and frustrating”, adding that Qatar was focused on de-escalating the situation and preserving the ceasefire.

Hamas denied any involvement in the Rafah shooting.

Speaking with reporters during a trip to East Asia, US President Donald Trump echoed Israel’s claim before saying that he believes the agreement will hold.

“The Israelis hit back, and they should hit back,” Trump added.

Qatar, Turkey and Egypt were instrumental in pushing Hamas to agree to the ceasefire, while Trump appeared to put leverage on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, analysts and diplomats say.

Israel still occupies over half the Gaza Strip, and Trump’s advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, floated an idea to rebuild the Israeli-occupied half of the enclave while leaving the part currently controlled by Hamas destroyed. The US wants Persian Gulf Arab states to invest in Gaza’s reconstruction, but there has been little evidence that they are willing to provide funds now.

When asked about Israel’s ongoing occupation of Gaza, Thani cited Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan.

“When you look at President Trump’s plan, the major themes are ending the war, no occupation, and no annexation [of Gaza]. These are three key principles,” he said.

“Ultimately, they need to withdraw once the international stabilisation force comes into place,” he added.

Reconstruction should rely on investment, not aid: Syria’s president

By
IFP Media Wire
-

Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) 2025 conference in Riyadh, Sharaa highlighted Saudi Arabia’s role in regional economic leadership and its support for Syria’s post-war recovery.

“We want to rebuild Syria through investment, not through aid and assistance,” he said, adding, “Saudi Arabia is a major player in the region, and under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s vision, it has become a hub for economists in the Middle East.”

Sharaa noted that the economy is closely tied to regional security and that instability in Syria during the war has posed strategic risks, including the spread of drugs and migration crises.

“The world has experienced Syria in turmoil over the past 14 years and as a generator of crises over the last 60 years.”

He emphasized that Syria has opened up to global investment, attracting $28 billion in the first six months after amending investment laws.

“Syria’s investment opportunities are rich, and major global economists recognize this,” he said, adding that the country has partnerships with Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, and US companies.

“Saudi Arabia supports prosperity, stability, and development in Syria, and I have been following for years the vision put forward by the Saudi crown prince, which encompasses the entire region,” he continued.

Sharaa stressed the government’s commitment to protecting investors under the law and integrating Syria into the regional and global economy.

“We cannot live in isolation. Integration with other countries creates a fully connected future economy,” he stated.

The Syrian leader concluded by underscoring that Syria will achieve balanced economic rankings regionally and internationally and “will be among major economies within several years.”

Separately, Sharaa met with bin Salman to discuss bilateral cooperation, particularly in investment and economic ties, as well as exchanging views on regional and international developments, the Syrian presidency said in a statement.

A number of ministers and senior officials from both countries attended the talks, “reflecting the depth of the fraternal relations between the Syrian Arab Republic and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and their shared desire to strengthen and develop them,” the statement added.

Sharaa landed in Riyadh on Tuesday to participate in the third day of the ninth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference, hosted by Riyadh through Oct. 30. The event brings together more than 8,000 participants, including senior officials from around the world.

This is the third visit by Sharaa to the kingdom since he assumed Syria’s presidency in January 2025.

Syria has been working to revive the country’s economy by attracting investors and signing trade agreements with regional states and companies after Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia in late 2024, ending the Baath Party’s decades-long rule since 1963.

 

Trump directs Pentagon to start testing nuclear arms on equal basis to China and Russia

By
IFP Media Wire
-

“The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country,” Trump wrote.

“This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office. Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years.”

Trump’s announcement on TruthSocial came shortly before he was slated to meet face-to-face with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time since 2019 in South Korea on Thursday.

Trump later ignored a question from a reporter about the move while meeting with Xi and the Chinese delegation in South Korea just before reporters were ushered out of the room.

The U.S. halted the explosive testing of nuclear arms in 1992.

Russia claimed it tested its new nuclear-capable cruise missile, known as the Burevestnik, last week, which purportedly flew 8,700 miles.

The test was met with international condemnation, including from Trump, who called it “inappropriate” as he is pushing the Kremlin to come to the table and negotiate a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

“You’ve got to get the war ended. A war that should have taken one week is now in its soon fourth year,” the president said on Monday.

“That’s what you ought to do, instead of testing missiles.”

“We test missiles all the time. They’re not playing games with us, and we’re not playing games with them either,” Trump added.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Moscow successfully tested a new atomic-powered and nuclear-capable underwater drone. The test was conducted on Tuesday, with Putin claiming the nuclear reactor that powers the Poseidon drone is “100 times smaller” than those on submarines.

 

Iran urges IAEA chief to avoid “baseless remarks” on nuclear program

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Rafael Grossi

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Baqaei criticized Grossi’s recent comments about Iran’s nuclear program, describing them as “catastrophic” and saying they could “pave the way for US and Israeli aggression against Iran.”

He urged the IAEA chief to refrain from making “unfounded statements” regarding the country’s nuclear activities.

Grossi told the Associated Press on Wednesday that while Iran is not currently engaged in active uranium enrichment, the agency has observed movements near storage facilities for enriched uranium.

He also said IAEA inspectors lack full access to Iranian sites but are monitoring developments through satellite imagery, which has shown no acceleration of enrichment beyond pre-conflict levels.

The IAEA chief added that uranium enriched up to 60 percent remains in Iran and that the agency must verify that it has not been diverted for other purposes.
He emphasized the importance of renewed access to confirm the status of the material.

Overwhelming majority of Palestinians oppose Hamas disarmament: Survey

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Hamas

About 70 percent of Palestinians polled across the occupied West Bank and Gaza say they staunchly oppose the disarmament of Hamas, even if that means a return to Israeli attacks, according to a poll conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR) between 22-25 October and published on Tuesday.

Notably, opposition to the disarmament of Hamas is strongest in the occupied West Bank, where around 80 percent of respondents said they want the group’s armed wing to maintain its weapons. The occupied West Bank is governed by the Palestinian Authority (PA), which is dominated by Hamas’s secular rival, Fatah.

In Gaza, which endured two years of Israeli assaults in what the United Nations, world leaders and human rights experts have called a genocide, a slimmer majority of Palestinians, 55 percent, said they opposed Hamas’s disarmament.

The poll’s sample size was 1,200 people, of whom 760 were interviewed in the occupied West Bank and 440 in Gaza. The survey was conducted face-to-face, with responses being submitted to servers that PCPSR said only researchers can access. The margin of error is 3.5 percent.

Support for Hamas retaining its weapons goes along with deep scepticism over Trump’s peace plan for Gaza.

The poll found 62 percent of Palestinians do not think the Trump plan will succeed in ending the war “once and for all”. Pessimism is higher in the occupied West Bank, where 67 percent of respondents were doubtful of the plan, compared to 54 percent in Gaza.

Palestinians were asked for the sixth time since the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, whether the operation was correct or incorrect. In previous polls, the number who supported the attack decreased substantially as Israel’s genocide raged.

With the ceasefire now signed, 53 percent of Palestinians said 7 October 2023 was “correct”. Support for the Hamas-led operation was substantially higher in the occupied West Bank, where 59 percent of respondents called it “correct” compared to 44 percent in Gaza.

Hamas remains substantially more popular than Fatah, which dominates the PA and is led by President Mahmoud Abbas.

Overall, 35 percent of Palestinians support Hamas compared to 24 percent in favour of Fatah, while 32 percent said they do not support either party or have no opinion.

Hamas outpolls Fatah in the occupied West Bank, where 32 percent of respondents support the group compared to 20 percent for Fatah. In Gaza, support for Hamas is even higher, with 41 percent in favour of the group compared to 29 percent for Fatah.

The vast majority of Palestinians, 60 percent, are satisfied with Hamas’s performance, with 66 percent in the occupied West Bank and 51 percent in Gaza “satisfied”.

According to the poll, the group is vastly more popular than Fatah and the PA, and its support has increased.

When Palestinians were asked about specific national leaders, their reaction to octogenarian President Abbas was deeply negative. Among Palestinians polled, just 23 percent are satisfied with Abbas, while 85 percent want him to resign.

The imprisoned Palestinian official Marwan Barghouti continues to display broad appeal and would win presidential elections if he were to run against Abbas or senior Hamas official Khaled Meshaal.

Top Iranian commander: 12-day conflict with Israel proved passive defense is national duty

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Abdulrahim Mousavi

In a message marking Iran’s Passive Defense Week, Mousavi said the 12-day conflict with the US and Israel in June demonstrated the need to strengthen non-military defense systems across the country’s critical infrastructure.

He noted that passive defense, focused on prevention, preparedness, and resilience, forms the foundation of national security in the face of modern, hybrid threats.

He described passive defense as “the backbone of infrastructural resilience and social stability,” highlighting its role in countering cyber, biological, chemical, radiological, and technological warfare.

Mousavi also praised two decades of efforts by Iranian experts, which have turned passive defense into a scientific and institutionalized framework for enhancing national preparedness.

Paying tribute to late military and scientific figures, including Maj. Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi and nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh who was assassinated by Israel, he expressed confidence that maintaining Iran’s Islamic and revolutionary identity remains the key to enduring stability and national unity.

Trump says US and China to ‘work together’ on Ukraine settlement

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Russia Ukraine War

Trump made the claim aboard Air Force One as he was departing South Korea, where he held a face-to-face meeting with Xi earlier on Thursday.

“Ukraine came up very strongly. We talked about it for a long time, and we are both going to work together to see if we can get something done,” the US leader stated.

Trump said he and Xi “agree that the sides are locked in fighting and sometimes you gotta let them fight, I guess.”

“But [Xi is] going to help us, and we are going to work together on Ukraine. Not a lot more we can do,” he continued.

The US president added that he had not asked his Chinese counterpart to stop buying Russian oil, despite pledging to do so ahead of the talks.

Beijing has not officially commented on Xi and Trump’s meeting in Busan.

 

Iranian volleyball player Saber Kazemi declared brain dead; remains on life support

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

Kazemi, who had been playing for Qatar’s Al Rayyan Club, was hospitalized in Doha last week after suffering a serious brain complication that left him in a coma.

Despite the confirmation of brain death, he remains connected to life-support machines under intensive care, officials said.

The exact cause of the incident has not yet been fully determined. According to initial reports, Kazemi lost consciousness after receiving an electric shock while in a swimming pool. Witnesses claimed that before collapsing, he said he had been “badly electrocuted.”

However, Dr. Jabari, a member of the medical team involved in Kazemi’s transfer to Doha, has rejected electrocution as the cause, saying further medical investigation is required.

Kazemi, known as one of Iran’s promising volleyball talents, had represented the national team in several international tournaments before joining Al Rayyan. The sports community in Iran and Qatar has expressed deep concern and sympathy for his condition.

Israel kills more Palestinians in new Gaza attack despite ‘resuming’ ceasefire

By
IFP Media Wire
-

Israel’s latest aerial attack on Wednesday evening occurred in Gaza’s Beit Lahiya area, killing at least two people, according to al-Shifa Hospital. Tel Aviv claimed it had targeted a site storing weapons that posed “an immediate threat” to its troops.

The attack adds further uncertainty to Gaza’s fragile ceasefire, which was shaken by the fiercest episode of Israeli bombardment on Tuesday night since it entered into force on October 10.

Following the reported killing of an Israeli soldier in southern Gaza’s Rafah on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered “powerful” retaliatory strikes on Gaza. The resulting attacks killed 104 people, mostly women and children, said Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel claimed its strikes targeted senior Hamas fighters, killing dozens, and then said it would start observing the ceasefire again mid-Wednesday.

United States President Donald Trump insisted the ceasefire “is not in jeopardy” despite the latest attacks.

Regional mediator Qatar expressed frustration over the violence, but said mediators are still looking towards the next phase of the truce, including the disarmament of Hamas.

On Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric stated that the UN chief strongly condemned “the killings due to Israeli air strikes of civilians in Gaza” the day before, “including many children”.

UN rights chief Volker Turk also added the report of so many dead was appalling and urged all sides not to let peace “slip from our grasp”, echoing calls from the United Kingdom, Germany and the European Union for the parties to recommit to the ceasefire.

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