Monday, December 22, 2025
type here...
Home Blog Page 951

Several Israeli embassies evacuated over fears of Iran retaliation: Report

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Israel Embassy

The Yedioth Ahronoth daily newspaper reported on Thursday that the evacuated Israeli embassies include those in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Turkey.

Israeli journalist and military commentator Itay Blumental also shared in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, “As part of the assessments for an Iranian response, we published this evening: the alert level in Israeli embassies around the world has been raised to the maximum level.

“A number of missions in several countries were evacuated after a situation assessment by the Shin Bet [Israel’s so-called internal security service] and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Some of the Israeli representatives abroad were moved to alternate locations and were also asked not to attend public events at this time.”

The Israeli news portal Ynet previously reported that Israeli authorities had given instructions to strengthen security measures at Israeli embassies around the world following the airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

“We ask you to continue to take preventive measures and pay more attention during routine operations,” a statement sent to Israeli diplomats, as quoted by the news portal, read.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced on Wednesday that it had boosted its air defense and called up reservists as fears of a retaliation rise in Tel Aviv.

On Monday, Israeli warplanes bombed the Iranian consulate in Damascus, located next to the embassy building in Damascus’s Mezzeh district.

The attack killed two senior Iranian military personnel who were on an advisory mission to Syria as well as five of their accompanying officers.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, and his deputy General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi were among the seven martyrs of the terrorist attack.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has vowed that Iran will “punish” Israel and make the evil regime “regret” its crime of assassinating the country’s military advisors in Syria.

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has also stated Israel had resorted to indiscriminate assassinations after back-to-back failures in the face of the resistance, warning that the regime’s latest crime against Iranian military advisers in Syria “will not go unanswered”.

IRGC chief commander: Rootless Zionist regime’s collapse is very imminent

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Hossein Salami

Addressing the Friday prayers congregation on the International Quds Day in the Iranian capital Tehran, Major General Hossein Salami said, “The US, which lacks political wisdom, has suffered many heavy economic, political and security costs for the protection and survival of the rootless regime whose collapse is very close in every aspect.”

The comment came in reaction to the incessant Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 last year that has so far killed over 33,000 Palestinians.

General Salami stated, “The Zionist regime is like a dagger that the satanic British regime stabbed the in body of the Islamic ummah 75 years ago,” adding that “the Zionist regime is still alive with the United States’ artificial respiration.”

The top Iranian commander also warned that the IRGC will punish the Israeli regime for the terrorist attack on Iran’s consular building in the Syrian capital Damascus on Monday which left seven Iranian military advisors killed.

He said, “We warn that no action of any enemy against our holy establishment will go unanswered, and the art of the Iranian nation is to break the power of empires and prove the victory of the truth of faith.”

Iran Quds marchers warn Israel will get ‘firm’ response for crimes

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Iran Quds Rally

The participants of the rallies hailed the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Khomeini for designating the last Friday of the holy fasting month of Ramadan as the Quds Day to highlight the suffering of the Palestinian nation ever since the 1948 occupation of their homeland by the Israeli regime.

The annual rally this year coincided with the six-month Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip that has so far left over 33,000 dead.

The 7-point statement praises the Palestinian resistance movement for standing up against the Israeli genocide, and condemns the US for providing Israel with “billions of dollars of financial support and scores of aircraft and weapons shipments and military systems.”

It also slammed Washington for repeatedly preventing a ceasefire and the cessation of the carnage with overt and covert efforts.

Meanwhile, the communique touched on the recent Israeli attack on Iran’s diplomatic mission in Syria which led to the death of seven Iranian military advisors. The marchers reminded the invading forces of Iran’s “might and deterrence power.”

“We warn the enemies of this land to avoid any mischief and dreaming about weakening or attacking this area, which is the red line of Iranians, and to know that in case of any miscalculation, the defenders of the security and territorial integrity of the homeland will give decisive and destructive responses and regretful punishment,” it read.

Iran tourism: Salasel castle and Darion creek, hidden gems in Khuzestan

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Iran Salasel castle and Darion creek, hidden gems in Khuzestan

Once a grand fortress boasting intricate courtyards, towers, and gardens, Salasel Castle in the city of Shushtar now stands as a testament to ancient architecture, with only its underground chambers and Darion tunnels remaining.

Despite its weathered facade, the castle continues to fascinate visitors with its rich history and enigmatic charm.

Adjacent to Salasel Castle lies Darion Creek, an engineering marvel dating back to the era of Darius the Great.

Carved entirely by hand, this stream exemplifies ancient ingenuity and perseverance.

As visitors traverse its winding paths, they are transported back in time, imagining the toil and dedication of those who sculpted this waterway centuries ago.

Together, Salasel Castle and Darion Creek offer a glimpse into Khuzestan’s rich past, inviting travellers to uncover the secrets of Iran’s cultural heritage amidst breathtaking landscapes.

More in pictures:

Majority of UK voters favor banning arms sales to Israel: Poll

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Gaza War

The survey is one of the few polls evaluating British public opinion of Israel’s war in Gaza and provides an up-to-date reading that Israel is losing public support in the UK, a longtime ally.

The poll, commissioned by Action for Humanity and conducted by YouGov, found that 56 percent of UK voters are in favour of banning the export of arms to Israel, while only 17 percent are against such a ban.

Fifty-nine percent of voters also believe Israel is violating human rights in the besieged enclave.

The poll was conducted before Israel killed seven aid workers in an air strike which has caused widespread condemnation from rights groups and UK and US lawmakers.

Arms experts and campaigners told Middle East Eye that they are questioning whether the drone used by the Israeli military to kill the aid workers, including three former members of Britain’s armed forces, was powered by a UK-made engine.

The survey also shows a significant division of views between Labour and Conservative voters. Among voters who plan to vote for the Labour Party, 71 percent back a ban on arms exports to Israel. For Conservative Party voters, that number is 38 percent – this is still larger than the number of Conservative voters who want to keep exporting arms to Israel, which was 36 percent.

The UK has licensed more than $727m worth of arms to Israel since 2008, according to an analysis by the Campaign Against Arms Trade.

On Wednesday, more than 600 prominent lawyers, academics and former judges signed a letter warning the UK government that its continued arming of Israel is breaching international law.

The open letter criticised the UK government for “falling significantly short” of its obligations under international law regarding arms sales to Israel.

It goes on to warn of the UK’s liability for “failure to comply with its own obligations under the Genocide Convention”, potentially incurring “UK state responsibility for the commission of an international wrong”.

The signatories reference the International Court of Justice’s identification of a “plausible risk of genocide” and demand the UK suspend the provision of weapons and weapons systems to Israel and “work actively and effectively to secure a permanent ceasefire in Gaza”.

The war in Gaza began on 7 October, when Hamas led a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking at least 240 hostages back to the besieged enclave. In response, Israel declared war, launching a full-scale military operation that began with a devastating and indiscriminate bombing campaign followed by a ground invasion of Gaza.

So far, Israeli forces have killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, laid siege to and attacked hospitals and medical workers, and targeted other civilian infrastructure, including schools and mosques.

While the UK government has fully backed Israel’s war efforts, demonstrations calling for an end to both the war and Israel’s occupation of Palestine have erupted across the UK. London has seen multiple rallies of hundreds of thousands of people filling the streets to both support Palestine and call for an end to Israel’s war.

The poll from YouGov and Action for Humanity used a sample size of 2,108 UK voters and picked individuals from a diverse range of political, geographic, and age categories.

US approves more bombs for Israel amid Gaza war

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Gaza War

The latest weapons transfer was authorized on Monday, the Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing unidentified US government officials. The package includes more than 1,000 MK-82 bombs, which weigh 500 pounds each, as well as over 1,000 small-diameter munitions and fuses for MK-80 bombs.

The weapons transfer was finalized hours after news broke that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) killed seven aid workers, including US and UK citizens, in a drone strike targeting a humanitarian aid convoy in the Palestinian enclave. Nearly 200 aid workers have reportedly been killed in Gaza and the West Bank since Israel’s war against Hamas began in October.

Although Biden has chided Israel for not doing enough to protect aid workers and other civilians in Gaza, his administration has refused to throttle back its support for the IDF or place conditions on weapons shipments. Over 33,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to Gaza health authorities, and the UN has warned of a humanitarian “catastrophe” if the IDF goes through with its planned ground offensive at the southern end of the enclave.

“We believe that the approach that we’re taking is working in terms of making it clear to the Israelis what our expectations are,” White House National Security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday.

He added, “Right now, we are continuing to support Israel because they continue to need military assistance because they continue to face a viable threat.”

Just last week, Washington reportedly approved a weapons shipment to Israel that includes thousands of MK-84 bombs, which weigh 2,000 pounds each. Like this week’s package, it didn’t require approval by Congress because it stemmed from a previously authorized arms sale. The Biden administration is reportedly pushing for legislative approval of a new $18 billion sale of F-15 fighter jets to Israel.

Iranian MP wants Pakistan to be held to account over terrorist attacks in southeast

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Iran Border Guard

Mahmoud Abbaszadeh Meshkini’s remarks came a day after armed militants staged attacks in the cities of Rask and Chabahar which left several Iranian security forces and militants dead.

The separatist Jaish al-Adl group, which is responsible for several terrorist attacks in the region bordering Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the Thursday attack.

Abbaszadeh Meshkini, who sits on the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament, said, “Sometimes, worrying about paying huge expenses makes us not do what we need to do on time. We have to pay a big price for big achievements. We should discuss this issue more seriously and decisively with Pakistan.”

Iran has asked Pakistan several times to rein in the militants and not allow them to wage any attack against Iran from inside the Pakistani territory.

Relations between the two countries soured last year after Iran launched missile and drone attacks on Pakistan’s Balochistan province to target the terror outfit’s positions.

Netanyahu told Biden deaths of aid workers in Gaza were Israel’s fault

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Gaza War

Netanyahu told Biden on Thursday that Israel was set on improving the tracking of non-profit workers inside Gaza and the US president affirmed that such steps were necessary, according to the official.

The White House has previously announced that the two leaders did not go into details of the investigation into the incident that killed the workers, including a dual American-Canadian citizen, which has drawn wide condemnation and angered the White House.

In the half-hour call with Netanyahu, Biden did not lay out the specifics of how he would consider shifting US policy if Israel doesn’t make changes in its handling of the war in Gaza, according to the top official.

He instead spoke in the same broad strokes reflected in the White House readout of the call that concrete changes needed to be made, according to the official.

Biden told Netanyahu that an “immediate ceasefire is essential” to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, according to a readout by the White House.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also said if the United States does not see changes in Israel’s policies to protect civilians in Gaza, “there’ll be changes in our own policy”.

The statement, made after a call between Biden and Netanyahu, is the clearest statement yet of the administration’s waning patience with the Israeli government amid the massive humanitarian toll.

“This week’s horrific attack on the World Central Kitchen was not the first such incident. It must be the last,” Blinken stated at a news conference in Brussels.

The secretary of state added he was “outraged” by the deaths of the seven WCK staffers.

“I strongly condemn it.”

He also described the repeated push on the Israeli government to do more to mitigate civilian harm.

“The results on the ground are woefully insufficient and unacceptable,” the diplomat continued.

John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, also said Washington will wait and see what Israel does in the coming hours and days and US policy is hung on the protection of aid workers.

“What we need to see is more aid getting in, we need to see more effort applied to keeping humanitarian aid workers safe, and any change to our policy will be sort of hung on our assessment of the degree to which Israel complies with all of that,” Kirby told Fox News.

Seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK) were killed Monday, drawing sharp criticism of Israel’s continued bombardment in Gaza. Biden released a statement Tuesday saying he was “outraged” at the news of the workers’ deaths. Netanyahu claimed responsibility for the “unintended” airstrikes and stated it was a “tragic event”, but also said that things like this happen in war.

Iranians stage massive Quds day rallies

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Iran Quds Rally

The Quds Day, designated by the late founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran in 1979, is held across the world as a reminder of the decades-long suffering of the Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli regime.

This year, the rallies are especially significant as the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been under incessant Israeli onslaught since Oct.7 last year.

The Israeli carnage has so far left over 33,000 Palestinians dead and more than 75,000 people injured, the majority of them women and children.

A funeral procession was held on the sidelines of the Quds Day rallies in the capital Tehran to commemorate the seven Iranian military advisors killed in an Israeli airstrike on Iran’s diplomatic mission in Syria on Monday.

US says Ukraine to become a member of NATO

By
IFP Media Wire
-
NATO Ukraine

“Ukraine will become a member of NATO. Our purpose at the summit is to help build a bridge to that membership,” Blinken told reporters Thursday in Brussels.

NATO allies agreed at the 2023 summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, that Ukraine can join NATO when certain conditions are met, but sparked criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Baltic allies for failing to set concrete goals and a timeline for Kyiv to join the alliance.

Ukraine’s supporters are crafting ways to demonstrate robust international support for Kyiv that can be announced at NATO’s Washington summit, marking the 75th anniversary of the alliance.

The deliverables are consequential amid concerns over waning US commitment to supporting Ukraine, with House Republicans holding up additional American assistance and fears that the return of former President Donald Trump to the White House could see a retreat of the US from its commitments to allies and partners.

1...950951952...5,118Page 951 of 5,118

© 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