Saturday, December 27, 2025
type here...
Home Blog Page 879

Former Iran FM Zarif rules out presidential bid amid national tragedy

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Javad Zarif

In an interview with an ILNA reporter, Zarif was asked if he intended to run for office. He responded succinctly, “No,” putting an end to the speculations about his participation.

This announcement comes at a time of profound national grief following the tragic death of Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and his companions in a helicopter crash on May 19.

The helicopter, carrying the president and several key officials, went down in a mountainous region under circumstances that are still under investigation.

This devastating incident has led to the decision to hold the presidential election sooner than originally scheduled.

With Zarif’s explicit refusal to enter the race, the upcoming election remains wide open, sparking considerable interest and speculation about who will step forward to lead the country.

According to the schedule announced by the Ministry of Interior, the registration of volunteers will take place from May 30 to June 3.

The Guardian Council will then start vetting the candidates until June 10, and the names of qualified candidates will be announced the following day.

The period for candidates’ election campaigns will be from June 12 to July 26, and the election will be held on July 28.

Former Mossad chief ‘threatened’ ICC prosecutor over war crimes inquiry

By
IFP Media Wire
-
The International Criminal Court (ICC)

Yossi Cohen, ex-chief of Israel’s Mossad foreign intelligence agency, threatened the ICC’s former prosecutor Fatou Bensouda in a series of secret meetings, an investigation by The Guardian daily newspaper reported on Tuesday. The report tallies with others suggesting Israel and its main Western allies have sought to pressure international justice bodies.

Cohen’s covert contact to pressure Bensouda took place in the years leading up to her decision to open a formal probe into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in occupied Palestinian territories, the report said, citing numerous anonymous sources.

Last week, Bensouda’s successor, Karim Khan, applied for an arrest warrant for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu based on that probe launched in 2021.

Khan announced his office had “reasonable grounds” to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant bear “criminal responsibility” for “war crimes and crimes against humanity”.

One individual briefed on Cohen’s activities said he had used “despicable tactics” against Bensouda as part of an ultimately unsuccessful effort to intimidate and influence her.

According to accounts shared with ICC officials, he is alleged to have told her: “You should help us and let us take care of you. You don’t want to be getting into things that could compromise your security or that of your family.”

Khan also applied for arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders – Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri (also known as Deif) and Ismail Haniyeh – for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Israel is not a member of the ICC and does not recognise its jurisdiction.

Israel has also faced accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest United Nations court, which, like the ICC, is based in The Hague.

Experts believe ICC indictments further undermine the legitimacy of Israel’s war on Gaza and complicate its exceptional relationship with European allies who are members of the Rome Statute.

But the US, the key ally of Israel, is believed to be shielding the Israeli government from the consequences of its international law violations.

US President Joe Biden called Khan’s move against the Israeli officials “outrageous”. Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that the White House would be willing to work with members of Congress on legislation to penalise the international tribunal.

Several US lawmakers have also urged Washington to impose sanctions against the ICC after the court’s request for the arrest warrants.

Palestinians fear that Israel and the US will pressure ICC judges into rejecting Khan’s requests.

Steam rising from Taftan volcano sparks concern among locals in Iran’s southeast

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Taftan Volcano

This activity has led to fears of potential volcanic unrest in the area.

Mount Taftan, located in the border region between Balochistan and Taftan city, last erupted in 1970-1971.

The current emissions have raised alarms, prompting officials to closely monitor the situation.

The Director General of Zahedan Geology and Mineral Explorations provided an update, stating that the observed vapors are likely related to recent increases in precipitation and are different from magmatic vapors typically associated with volcanic activity.

He emphasized that while current data do not indicate any immediate anomalies, more extensive scientific research is necessary to accurately predict the possibility of an eruption.

The local authorities continue to keep a vigilant eye on Mount Taftan, reassuring the public that safety measures and monitoring systems are in place to respond to any significant changes.

Iran’s Salar Aghapour named best young futsal player in world

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Salar Aghapour

This marks the first time in history that an Iranian has achieved this honor.

Aghapour led Palma to victory in the UEFA Futsal Champions League this season and also helped the national team to the top of Asia.

Aghapour has singed with Sirjan’s Gohar Zameen team during a big transfer and his contract will be formalized in the coming days.

EU discussing sanctioning Israel if it refuses to comply with ICJ’s ruling: Irish FM

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Gaza War

During a meeting of the European Political Community, EU foreign ministers for the first time discussed the prospect of sanctions against Israel if it continued to disregard the court’s order, stressed Michael Martin, according to public broadcaster RTE.

“Certainly, if compliance isn’t forthcoming, then we have to consider all options,” he said, adding that Ireland would support such an approach.

Martin said some foreign ministers had also raised the prospect of sanctions against Israeli officials who were aiding and abetting violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

He added, however, that “there is some distance between people articulating the need for a sanctions-based approach if Israel does not comply with International Court of Justice rulings, (and) obviously there is not an agreement at the EU Council level given the different perspectives there.”

At least 45 people were killed and nearly 250 others injured when Israel targeted a camp for displaced people and houses in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Sunday, said medical sources and officials.

The attack occurred near the logistics base of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in Tal al-Sultan, said the Gaza Media Office.

Israeli aircraft targeted several tents in the area, the media office said, adding that missiles and 2,000-pound bombs were used.

The ICJ ordered Israel on Friday to immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah, open the Rafah crossing and allow access to international fact-finding missions.

Israel has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, which killed around 1,200 people.

The military campaign has turned much of the enclave of 2.3 million people into ruins, leaving most civilians homeless and at risk of famine.

3 European countries announce formal recognition of Palestinian state

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Spain Ireland Norway

Sanchez spoke on Tuesday before a cabinet vote that approved the previously announced plan to recognise a Palestinian state. Norway’s recognition has also taken effect, while Ireland has also followed suit.

Spanish government spokesperson Pilar Alegria announced that the cabinet had “adopted an important decision to recognise a Palestinian state”, which had “one objective: to help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace”.

The Spanish prime minister called the move “a matter of historical justice”.

“The only route towards establishing peace is the establishment of a Palestinian state, living side by side with the state of Israel,” he added.

“The state of Palestine must be viable with the West Bank and Gaza connected by a corridor and with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

Madrid will not recognise any changes to pre-1967 borders unless agreed to by both parties, he continued. The occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip were part of the territory Israel seized in 1967 in the Arab-Israeli War.

The leaders of Spain, Ireland, Malta and Slovenia said in March that they were considering recognising a Palestinian state as “a positive contribution” towards ending the war in Gaza.

As Oslo’s recognition took effect, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement, “For more than 30 years, Norway has been one of the strongest advocates for a Palestinian state. Today, when Norway officially recognises Palestine as a state, is a milestone in the relationship between Norway and Palestine.”

Ireland’s cabinet approved formal recognition shortly after the Palestinian flag was raised in Dublin outside the seat of the Irish parliament.

“This is an important moment and I think it sends a signal to the world that there are practical actions you can take as a country to help keep the hope and destination of a two-state solution alive at a time when others are trying to sadly bomb it into oblivion,” Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris stated.

Malta and Slovenia have suggested they will also take the same step, although not immediately.

Harris urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “listen to the world and stop the humanitarian catastrophe we are seeing in Gaza”.

However, the announcements earned only fury from Israel, widening its disagreements with some European Union states over the continuing war in Gaza.

Spain, Ireland and Norway announced their plan to formally recognise Palestine last week, prompting Israel to recall its ambassadors from all three countries.

Palestine has already been recognised by 144 other countries.

Of the 27 members of the EU, Sweden, Cyprus, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria have recognised a Palestinian state.

The United Kingdom and Australia have said they are considering recognition, France has said now is not the time while Germany joined Israel’s staunchest ally, the United States, in rejecting a unilateral approach, insisting that a two-state solution can be achieved only through dialogue.

EU says member states disagree on arming Ukraine using Russian funds

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Russia Ukraine War

On Monday, EU foreign ministers approved a legal framework to impose a windfall tax on income from the immobilized funds, and to use 90% of them to back Kiev’s war effort against Moscow. The meeting in Brussels saw an intense debate between diplomats, a senior official told journalists after the discussion.

Western nations have seized some $300 billion of Russian assets, most of which are being held in the EU. Brussels’ plan, which Borrell strongly supports, would provide some €3 billion ($3.23 billion) foir Ukraine this year alone. Moscow has warned that it will retaliate, should its property be “stolen” by the US and its allies.

Hungary, a vocal critic of Western support for Ukraine, is refusing to provide any military aid to Kiev, either unilaterally or via the EU. Budapest’s approval of the arms purchase scheme is required to pass more legal documents, which would allow the EU to “to use the revenues from frozen assets and to convert [them] into arms”, Borrell said.

”We have had an intense or even heated discussion on this military support for Ukraine, which is facing some obstacles in order to reach the necessary unanimity to make it effective,” he added.

Some members of the bloc said during the discussion that whatever legitimate concerns Hungary may have, its opposition should be “proportional” to the urgency of sending more weapons to Ukraine, the diplomat stressed.

Borrell declined to speculate on Hungary’s motives, when asked by a journalist whether Budapest may have a hidden agenda. Critics of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban have accused him of being “pro-Russian” due to his stance on the Ukraine conflict.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Monday that his government remained committed to blocking a separate €6.5 billion ($7 billion) military aid package for Ukraine.

”We continue to insist on the need to make peace, to stop the senseless killing, and to prevent the escalation of this war,” the minister explained.

Last month, Orban called the EU’s support of Ukraine a strategic error, arguing that Brussels should promote peace between Kiev and Moscow instead.

Almost 1mn flee Gaza’s Rafah in past 3 weeks amid Israeli offensive

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Gaza War

“In the past 3 weeks around 1 million people have fled Rafah,” UNRWA said in a statement on its X account.

It added that the mass fleeing of people from Rafah takes place despite “nowhere safe to go and amidst bombardment, lack of food and water.”

The agency warned that providing aid and protection to people became “nearly impossible”, and reiterated its call for an immediate cease-fire.

Before the launch of the Israeli military operation against Rafah on May 6, it was home and shelter to over 1.5 million displaced Palestinians who fled their areas across the Gaza Strip due to the Israeli onslaught that started on Oct. 7, 2023.

On Tuesday, the Israeli army began expanding its invasion into Rafah amid heavy shelling and bombing, forcing thousands to flee western Rafah towards Khan Younis and areas in the central Gaza Strip.

Israel’s current expansion of its incursion into Rafah makes the Israeli army close to fully in control of the border area between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, a demilitarized buffer zone running along the Gaza-Egypt border.

The Israeli army has so far seized control of almost two-thirds of the corridor area as it advances through heavy bombardment and shelling.

Israel continued its brutal offensive on Gaza despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

At least 36,050 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and over 81,000 others injured since October following an attack by Hamas.

More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel stands accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Russia says NATO raises degree of escalation, goes too far in military rhetoric

By
IFP Media Wire
-
NATO Chief

The Kremlin spokesman commented on NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg’s proposal for considering the issue again whether Ukraine should be able to carry out strikes with Western weapons against military facilities located on internationally recognized Russian territory.

“NATO is raising the degree of escalation. NATO is going too far in military rhetoric. It is falling into a kind of military ecstasy. This is the reality that we will have to confront further on,” Peskov said.

At the same time, he emphasized that Stoltenberg’s calls for supplying more arms and ammunition to Ukraine and lifting restrictions on their use could not be his personal opinion.

“He is an official. He is the secretary general of the North Atlantic Alliance. This is how we perceive this,” Peskov emphasized.

He added that “our military also knows what is to be done”.

“The army continues the special military operation,” he stated.

UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting over Israel Rafah carnage

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Gaza War

The meeting was requested by Algeria, the diplomat said.

The Security Council will hold private discussions on Tuesday afternoon at 3.30 p.m., the diplomat added.

UN Secretary-General Antònio Guterres issued a blistering condemnation on Monday.

“I condemn Israel’s actions which killed scores of innocent civilians who were only seeking shelter from this deadly conflict,” Guterres said on X.

“There is no safe place in Gaza. This horror must stop,” he added.

International outcry is mounting over Israel’s airstrike on a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah that killed at least 45 people and wounded 200 others, many of whom were women and children.

In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the strike a “tragic mistake” and claimed that Israel was investigating the incident.

Several global aid organizations penned a joint letter on Monday calling on the UN Security Council to enforce the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) orders that Israel “immediately halt” its military offensive in Rafah.

“Immediate action is required to uphold international law and ensure the government of Israel meets its obligations as mandated by the ICJ,” the letter read.

Despite the order, “bloodshed has continued”, the letter read.

“We call on the UN Security Council to take decisive action to ensure the ICJ’s orders are implemented, allowing humanitarian aid to reach those in need and enabling thorough investigations into violations of international law,” it stressed.

“The Security Council must act now to uphold justice, protect human rights, and maintain international peace and security. Failure to do so would further compromise the conditions to sustain human life in Gaza and would undermine global trust in the primacy of international law.”

More than 36,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israel’s aerial and ground bombardments on the Palestinian territory.

1...878879880...5,127Page 879 of 5,127

© All Content by IFP News ( Iran Front Page ) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

About Us

Popular Articles

Editor Picks