Trump lifts US sanctions on Syria, paving the way for global reintegration

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to end a longstanding sanctions programme on Syria, marking a significant step toward reintegrating the country into the global financial system and fulfilling Washington’s commitment to support Syria’s post-war reconstruction.

Despite the broader easing, the United States will retain targeted sanctions against Syria’s former president Bashar al-Assad, his inner circle, individuals involved in human rights abuses, drug trafficking, chemical weapons activities, and members of the Islamic State, ISIS affiliates, and Iran-backed proxies, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing.

Assad was toppled in December in a lightning offensive by Islamist-led rebels, and Syria has since taken steps to re-establish international ties.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said Trump's termination of the Syria sanctions programme would "open the door to long-awaited reconstruction and development," according to a post by the foreign minister on social media platform X.

He said the move would "lift the obstacle" against economic recovery and open the country to the international community.

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Trump met in Riyadh in May, where, in a major policy shift, Trump unexpectedly announced he would lift US sanctions on Syria, prompting Washington to significantly ease its measures.

Some in Congress are pushing for the measures to be repealed, while Europe has announced the end of its economic sanctions regime.

"Syria needs to be given a chance, and that's what's happened," US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack told reporters in a briefing call.

He described Monday's move as "the culmination of a very tedious, detailed, excruciating process of, how do you unwrap these sanctions?"

The White House, in a fact sheet, said the order directs the Secretary of State to review the terrorism designations of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a rebel group that Sharaa led that has roots in al Qaeda, as well as Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The White House said the administration would continue to monitor Syria's progress on key priorities, including "taking concrete steps toward normalising ties with Israel, addressing foreign terrorists, deporting Palestinian terrorists and banning Palestinian terrorist groups."

Layers of US sanctions

An investigation published on Monday revealed the role of Syrian government forces in the killing of more than 1,500 Syrian Alawites over three days of massacres along the country’s Mediterranean coast in March. The Trump administration had no comment on the Reuters report.

It was not immediately clear if Washington was lifting the sanctions on any of the factions that Reuters found were involved.

Syrians hope the easing of sanctions will clear the way for greater engagement by humanitarian organisations working in the country, encouraging foreign investment and trade as it rebuilds.

In the aftermath of Trump's announcement in May, the US Treasury Department issued a general license that authorised transactions involving the interim Syrian government as well as the central bank and state-owned enterprises.

However, the US has imposed layers of sanctions against Syria, some of which are authorised by legislation, including the Caesar Act.

Repealing the measures is necessary for Syria to attract long-term investment without parties fearing the risk of violating US sanctions.

"We are now, pursuant to the executive order, going to look at suspension criteria for the Caesar Act," a senior administration official said.

Most of the US sanctions on Syria were imposed on Assad's government and key individuals in 2011 after civil war erupted in the country.

The dismantling of the US sanctions programme on Syria includes terminating, from Tuesday, a national emergency declared in 2004 and revoking linked executive orders, according to the order signed on Monday.

The executive order also directs additional actions, including some with respect to waivers of export controls and other restrictions, the order reads.

Pakistan plans to extend 4G services to remote areas

The Pakistan government has decided to extend 4G services to remote areas to reduce the digital divide in underserved regions. According to details, the Universal Service Fund (USF) Board has approved seven key projects to enhance broadband and fiber optic infrastructure nationwide.

The decision was taken under the leadership of IT Secretary and USF Board Chairman Zarar Khan, with a total investment of Rs7.49 billion.

The approved projects include five broadband service initiatives and two fiber optic deployments, covering 940 kilometers of fiber to connect 347 villages and 113 towns/union councils in 12 districts.

According to USF, these projects will benefit around 2.8 million residents through fiber connectivity and 965,000 individuals via broadband services.

Zarar Khan noted that the accelerated rollout, guided by Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima, is enabling thousands of skilled youth and women from remote areas to participate in the freelancing and digital startup ecosystem.

So far, USF has facilitated access to broadband for over 37 million people nationwide.

USF CEO Mudassar Naveed shared further details, stating that Rs3.27 billion will be spent to lay 415 km of fiber optic cable in Sanghar, while Rs2.38 billion will fund 525 km of cable in areas around Jhang.

The initiative will also bring 4G connectivity to rural parts of Attock, Khushab, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Chiniot, Badin, and Abbottabad.

The Board of Directors commended USF for its critical role in boosting Pakistan’s IT sector growth and digital exports.

AI is beginning to deceive, manipulate, and even threaten its creators

The world’s most advanced AI models are showing alarming new behaviors — including deception, manipulation, and even issuing threats to their creators in pursuit of their objectives.

In one particularly jarring example, under threat of being unplugged, Anthropic's latest creation Claude 4 lashed back by blackmailing an engineer and threatened to reveal an extramarital affair.

Meanwhile, ChatGPT-creator OpenAI's o1 tried to download itself onto external servers and denied it when caught red-handed.

These episodes highlight a sobering reality: more than two years after ChatGPT shook the world, AI researchers still don't fully understand how their own creations work.

Yet the race to deploy increasingly powerful models continues at breakneck speed.

This deceptive behaviour appears linked to the emergence of "reasoning" models -AI systems that work through problems step-by-step rather than generating instant responses.

According to Simon Goldstein, a professor at the University of Hong Kong, these newer models are particularly prone to such troubling outbursts.

"O1 was the first large model where we saw this kind of behaviour," explained Marius Hobbhahn, head of Apollo Research, which specialises in testing major AI systems.

These models sometimes simulate "alignment" — appearing to follow instructions while secretly pursuing different objectives.

'Strategic kind of deception'
For now, this deceptive behavior only emerges when researchers deliberately stress-test the models with extreme scenarios.

But as Michael Chen from evaluation organisation METR warned, "It's an open question whether future, more capable models will have a tendency towards honesty or deception."

The concerning behavior goes far beyond typical AI "hallucinations" or simple mistakes.

Hobbhahn insisted that despite constant pressure-testing by users, "what we're observing is a real phenomenon. We're not making anything up."

Users report that models are "lying to them and making up evidence," according to Apollo Research's co-founder.

"This is not just hallucinations. There's a very strategic kind of deception."

The challenge is compounded by limited research resources.

While companies like Anthropic and OpenAI do engage external firms like Apollo to study their systems, researchers say more transparency is needed.

As Chen noted, greater access "for AI safety research would enable better understanding and mitigation of deception."

Another handicap: the research world and non-profits "have orders of magnitude less compute resources than AI companies. This is very limiting," noted Mantas Mazeika from the Center for AI Safety (CAIS).

Meta brings on board four additional AI researchers from OpenAI

Meta Platforms is expanding its AI team by hiring four more researchers from OpenAI, according to a report by The Information. The new hires — Shengjia Zhao, Jiahui Yu, Shuchao Bi, and Hongyu Ren — have reportedly agreed to join Meta, as per a source familiar with the matter.

Earlier this week, Meta also brought in Lucas Beyer, Alexander Kolesnikov, and Xiaohua Zhai, who were previously part of OpenAI’s Zurich office, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Both Meta and OpenAI have yet to respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

These hires come as part of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s broader push to accelerate progress in superintelligence by attracting top AI talent from rival firms.

New WhatsApp feature allows users to scan documents using their phone camera

WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that allows users to scan documents with the camera directly from the app and it is currently available to some beta testers.

The new feature, which beta testers can explore in the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.19.21 update after downloading it from the Google Play Store, eliminates the need for any third-party scanning tools.

When choosing the "Scan document" option from the document-sharing interface, the phone's camera is activated right away, displaying a live preview that helps users position the document correctly for capture.

The scanning experience aims to cater to different user needs and usage situations.

The popular Meta-owned instant-messaging app includes two distinct capture methods, giving users the freedom to choose what works best for them.

Those who prefer greater control over the process can opt for manual capture, which lets them decide the exact moment the photo is taken.

This can help when careful positioning or lighting adjustments are required to get a high-quality scan.

On the other hand, the automatic mode streamlines the process by detecting the edges of the document on its own and snapping the image without user input, offering a quicker experience when time is limited.

After capturing the image, regardless of the selected mode, WhatsApp immediately processes it and converts it into a PDF file, ready for instant sharing whether in a private chat or a group conversation.

The entire scanning and conversion workflow takes place locally on the user's device and leverages Android's built-in APIs for document capture.

The resulting file stays stored on the device until the user decides to send it through WhatsApp.

The new feature will be rolled out to even more people over the coming weeks.

Iran holds state funeral for senior officials killed in conflict with Israel

Iran on Saturday began state funeral services for around 60 individuals, including senior military commanders, killed in its conflict with Israel, as Tehran's top diplomat slammed Donald Trump's remarks about Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as "unacceptable."

The proceedings in Tehran for the nuclear scientists and military commanders killed in Israeli strikes began at 8am local time.

"The ceremony to honour the martyrs has officially started," state TV said, showing footage of people donning black clothes, waving Iranian flags and holding pictures of the slain military commanders.

Images showed coffins draped in Iranian flags and bearing portraits of the deceased commanders in uniform near Enghelab Square in central Tehran.

SpaceX says efforts to recover debris delayed after Starship explosion

SpaceX said Thursday that its debris recovery efforts following last week’s Starship explosion have faced obstacles, and it is seeking cooperation from Mexico, whose president has suggested possible legal action against the company.

A massive Starship spacecraft by SpaceX exploded into a dramatic fireball during testing in Texas last week, which Elon Musk’s space firm attributed to a “major anomaly.”

The Starship rocket appeared to have experienced at least two explosions in rapid succession, lighting up the night sky and sending debris flying, according to video capturing the moment it exploded.

“Despite SpaceX’s attempts to recover the anomaly related debris, which is and remains the tangible property of SpaceX, these attempts have been hindered by unauthorized parties trespassing on private property,” the company said in a post on social media platform X.

“We have requested local and federal assistance from the government of Mexico in the recovery,” it said, adding that it also has offered resources and assistance in the clean-up.

President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday that her administration is investigating the security and environmental impact of the launch of rockets, particularly for the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.

A general review is being conducted to determine what international laws are being violated. “From there, we’ll start a process, because there is indeed contamination,” Sheinbaum had said during a morning press conference.

A Starship spacecraft exploded in space minutes after lifting off from Texas in March, prompting the FAA to halt air traffic in parts of Florida, in a setback for Musk’s Mars rocket program.

In January, a Starship rocket broke up in space minutes after launching from Texas, raining debris over Caribbean islands and causing minor damage to a car in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

UN chief criticizes US-backed Gaza aid effort: ‘It’s costing lives’

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday called the U.S.-backed aid operation in Gaza “inherently unsafe,” stating bluntly: “It is killing people.”

Israel and the United States want the U.N. to work through the controversial new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, but the U.N. has refused, questioning its neutrality and accusing the distribution model of militarizing aid and forcing displacement.

“Any operation that channels desperate civilians into militarized zones is inherently unsafe. It is killing people,” Guterres told reporters.

Guterres said U.N.-led humanitarian efforts are being “strangled,” aid workers themselves are starving and Israel – as the occupying power – is required to agree to and facilitate aid deliveries into and throughout the Palestinian enclave.

“People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families.

The search for food must never be a death sentence,” Guterres told reporters. “It is time to find the political courage for a ceasefire in Gaza.”

Since Israel lifted an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza on May 19, allowing limited U.N. deliveries to resume, the United Nations says more than 400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid from both the U.N. and GHF operations.

A senior U.N. official said on Sunday that the majority of those people were trying to reach GHF sites.

Responding to Guterres on Friday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry accused the U.N. of “doing everything it can” to oppose the GHF aid operation.

“In doing so, the UN is aligning itself with Hamas, which is also trying to sabotage the GHF’s humanitarian operations,” it posted on X.

A GHF spokesperson said there have been no deaths at or near any of the GHF aid distribution sites.

“It is unfortunate the U.N. continue to push false information regarding our operations,” the GHF spokesperson said.

“Bottom line, our aid is getting securely delivered. Instead of bickering and throwing insults from the sidelines, we would welcome the UN and other humanitarian groups to join us and feed the people in Gaza.”

GHF uses private U.S. security and logistics firms to operate.

It began operations in Gaza on May 26 and said on Friday so far it has given out more than 48 million meals.

The U.S. State Department said on Thursday it had approved $30 million in funding for the GHF and called on other countries to also support the group.

3,200MP Chile camera offers sharpest view of universe

Chile’s Vera C. Rubin Observatory, home to the world’s largest digital camera, has released its first cosmic images, helping astronomers study solar system formation and assess asteroid threats to Earth.

Located on Pachon Hill in the northern region of Coquimbo, the 8.4-meter (27-1/2-foot) telescope has a 3,200-megapixel camera feeding a powerful data processing system.

"It's really going to change and challenge the way people work with their data," said William O'Mullane, a project manager focused on data at Vera Rubin.

The observatory detected over 2,100 previously unseen asteroids in 10 hours of observations, focusing on a small area of the visible sky.

Its ground-based and space-based peers discover in total some 20,000 asteroids a year.

O'Mullane said the observatory would allow astronomers to collect huge amounts of data quickly and make unexpected finds.

"Rather than the usual couple of observations and writing an (academic) paper.

No, I'll give you a million galaxies. I'll give you a million stars or a billion even, because we have them: 20 billion galaxy measurements," he said.

The centre is named after American astronomer Vera C. Rubin, a pioneer in finding conclusive evidence of the existence of large amounts of invisible material known as dark matter.

Each night, Rubin will take some 1,000 images of the southern hemisphere sky, letting it cover the entire southern sky every three or four nights.

The darkest skies above the arid Atacama Desert make Chile one of the best places worldwide for astronomical observation.

"The number of alerts the telescope will send every night is equivalent to the inboxes of 83,000 people.

It's impossible for someone to look at that one by one," said astrophysicist Francisco Foster.

"We're going to have to use artificial intelligence tools."

Trump expresses hope for Gaza ceasefire within a week

At a White House event, US President Donald Trump said a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could be achieved within days. Speaking from the Oval Office, he shared that he had recently spoken with individuals involved in the negotiations and believed a breakthrough was near.

"I think it's close. I just spoke to some of the people involved," Trump said. "We think within the next week we're going to get a ceasefire."

He did not say who he has been talking to, but he has told reporters he was in near-daily contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the Israel-Iran conflict.

Trump's surprise prediction of a possible ceasefire deal in coming days came at a time when there have been few signs that the warring parties were ready to restart serious negotiations or budge from entrenched positions.

A spokesperson for US special envoy Steve Witkoff's office said they had no information to share beyond Trump's comments.

Witkoff helped former President Joe Biden's aides broker a ceasefire and hostage release agreement shortly before Trump took office in January but the deal soon unravelled.

The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer plans to visit Washington starting on Monday for talks with Trump administration officials about Gaza, Iran and a possible White House visit by Netanyahu, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Netanyahu said on Thursday the outcome of Israel's war with Iran presented opportunities for peace that his country must not waste.

"This victory presents an opportunity for a dramatic widening of peace agreements. We are working on this with enthusiasm," Netanyahu said in a statement.

DeepSeek faces expulsion from Apple, Google app stores in Germany

Germany’s data protection commissioner has asked Apple and Google to remove Chinese AI startup DeepSeek from their app stores in the country due to concerns about data protection.

Commissioner Meike Kamp said in a statement on Friday that she made the request because DeepSeek illegally transfers users’ personal data to China.

The two US tech giants must now review the request promptly and decide whether to block the app in Germany, she added.

DeepSeek did not respond to a request for comment. Apple and Google were not immediately available for comment.

 According to its own privacy policy, DeepSeek stores numerous personal data, such as requests to its AI programme or uploaded files, on computers in China.

“DeepSeek has not been able to provide my agency with convincing evidence that German users’ data is protected in China to a level equivalent to that in the European Union,” Kamp said.

“Chinese authorities have far-reaching access rights to personal data within the sphere of influence of Chinese companies,” she added.

The commissioner said she took the decision after asking DeepSeek in May to meet the requirements for non-EU data transfers or else voluntarily withdraw its app. DeepSeek did not comply with this request, she added.

DeepSeek shook the technology world in January with claims that it had developed an AI model to rival those from US firms such as ChatGPT creator OpenAI at much lower cost. However, it has come under scrutiny in the United States and Europe for its data security policies.

Italy blocked it from app stores there earlier this year, citing a lack of information on its use of personal data, while the Netherlands has banned it on government devices.

US lawmakers plan to introduce a bill that would ban US executive agencies from using any AI models developed in China.

Reuters exclusively reported this week that DeepSeek is aiding China’s military and intelligence operations.

Iran's parliament approves bill to suspend cooperation with UN nuclear agency

Iran’s parliament (Majlis) has approved a bill to suspend Tehran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) following its politically-motivated resolution against the Islamic Republic.

The general and specific provisions of the bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA have been approved by lawmakers, said Alireza Salimi, a member of the parliament’s presiding board, on Wednesday.

According to the parliament’s resolution, IAEA inspectors will not be permitted to enter Iran unless the security of the country's nuclear facilities and that of peaceful nuclear activities is guaranteed, which is subject to the approval of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Before Wednesday’s voting, Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, denounced the IAEA for failing to condemn US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“The IAEA, which did not even formally condemn the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, has put its international credibility up for sale; for this reason, the AEOI will suspend its cooperation with the Agency until the security of its nuclear facilities is guaranteed, and Iran’s peaceful nuclear program will proceed at an even faster pace,” he stated.

“With the utmost skepticism, we will not be deceived by any promise, and more prepared than ever, with our finger on the trigger, we will respond forcefully to any aggressor.”

The speaker also stressed that Israel not only failed to stop Iran’s enrichment and limit its missile program but also suffered unprecedented damage to its military infrastructure, with cities across the occupied territories becoming unsafe and the myth of the Iron Dome shattered.

He further emphasized that Iran’s offensive capabilities have made the occupiers restless, destroying any sense of security or hope for the future there. Touching on the ongoing ceasefire, he stressed that Washington sought a truce after Iran’s response targeted the US’s military base in Qatar with advanced missiles.

Qalibaf added that Iran has yet to use its full capabilities, including influence over the global energy economy.

“Backed by the support of all Iranians at home and abroad, the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran made the Zionist regime miserable by aggravating its existential crisis and deterred the US from further aggression against Iran, fulfilling the true promise of the wise Leader of the Revolution,” he asserted.

The vote comes a few days after Qalibaf said the top legislative body was considering a bill to suspend Tehran’s cooperation with the UN agency.

“Majlis (the Iranian Parliament) is drafting a plan to suspend cooperation with the agency until tangible guarantees regarding the professional attitude of this international organization are received,” Qalibaf said during an open session of the parliament on Monday.

Iran is also considering an entry ban on the IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, who has come under fire for facilitating the Israeli-American aggression against Iran.

Kowsari, a senior lawmaker, said on Monday that he has urged the Supreme National Security Council to impose an entry ban on Grossi.

Based on Grossi’s politically-motivated reports, the IAEA Board of Governors passed an anti-Iran resolution days ahead of the Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic.

It was the first claim of non-compliance against Iran in nearly 20 years, falsely accusing the country of violating safeguards obligations, with the measure adopted by 19 votes in favor, 11 abstentions, and 3 countries opposed (Russia, China, and Burkina Faso).

The controversial resolution, pushed by the European troika – Britain, France and Germany - and backed by the United States, prompted strong condemnations from the Islamic Republic and led to announcements of a new nuclear facility and upgradation of centrifuges to an advanced level at the Fordow enrichment plant.

Grossi’s political and biased report and the subsequent resolution, according to analysts, facilitated the Israeli regime’s brutal aggression on June 13, leading to the assassination of several nuclear scientists as well as high-ranking military commanders.

After the Israeli aggression, including against the Natanz nuclear plant in central Iran, the UN nuclear agency chief stopped short of unequivocally condemning the terrorist act, which was in brazen violation of international law.

He also refused to condemn the American aggression against three key Iranian nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—using B-2 stealth bombers armed with Massive Ordnance Penetrators and cruise missiles.

While Israel and the White House claimed that the strikes destroyed the facilities, a preliminary intelligence report by the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) said that the strikes caused less damage than publicly claimed by US President Donald Trump and his administration.

The initial assessment also said that the strikes likely set Tehran’s nuclear program back by only a matter of months.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said the head of the UN nuclear watchdog has become "a tool in the hands of the Zionist regime and the US” and thus an accomplice in their crimes against the Iranian nation.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Grossi has "betrayed" the non-proliferation regime and made the IAEA "a partner to an unjust war of aggression."

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, stressed that Tehran will take all necessary legal measures to defend its rights and hold the IAEA chief responsible for failing to act in the face of the Israeli onslaught on the country.

In a letter to Grossi last Thursday, Eslami addressed the issue of the IAEA’s lack of action over continued Israeli aggression against the country, including attacks on nuclear sites.

He said the Israeli regime’s attacks on Iranian nuclear sites constitute a clear violation of Geneva Convention and related protocols, UN Charter and United Nations Scientific Committee on the Works of Atomic Weapons, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Comprehensive Non-Proliferation Agreement between Iran and the UN agency, the safety standards of the UN agency and other relevant international conventions.

Former Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif also took to X to denounce Grossi’s “irresponsible and fallacious" IAEA report, which he said caused “irreparable damage to the agency.”

“He must be held accountable for his complicity in the death of innocents in Iran caused by Israeli aggression using his report as a pretext," Zarif wrote.

US intelligence disputes Trump, confirms Iran's nuclear sites remain undamaged after strikes

US airstrikes did not destroy Iran’s nuclear capability and only set it back by a few months, according to a preliminary US intelligence assessment, as a shaky ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump took hold between Iran and Israel.

Earlier on Tuesday, both Iran and Israel signaled that the air war between the two nations had ended, at least for now, after Trump publicly scolded them for violating a ceasefire he announced at 0500 GMT.

As the two countries lifted civilian restrictions after 12 days of war – which the US joined with an attack on Iran’s uranium-enrichment facilities – each sought to claim victory.

Trump said over the weekend that the US deployment of 30,000-pound bombs had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program.

But that claim appeared to be contradicted by an initial assessment by one of his administration’s intelligence agencies, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Trump says both Israel, Iran have breached truce

U.S. President Donald Trump accused both Israel and Iran of violating a ceasefire on Tuesday hours after he announced it, expressing particular frustration with Israel which had announced major new strikes on Tehran.

“Israel. Do not drop those bombs. If you do it it is a major violation. Bring your pilots home, now!” Trump wrote on Truth Social shortly after he left the White House for a trip to a NATO summit in The Hague.

Before boarding, he told reporters he was “not happy” with either side for violating the truce, particularly with Israel.

“I’ve got to get Israel to calm down now,” Trump said as he left the White House. “Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and they dropped a load of bombs, the likes of which I’ve never seen before, the biggest load that we’ve seen.”

Iran and Israel had been fighting “so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f**k they’re doing,” he said before turning away from cameras and heading to his helicopter.

Trump says Iran-Israel ceasefire ‘now in effect’

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the ceasefire between Iran and Israel is “NOW IN EFFECT.”

“THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The US leader had earlier said the truce would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations first. He said Israel would follow suit 12 hours later.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed gratitude toward the Iranian armed forces who punished Israel for its aggression until the very last minute.

Iranian military denies launching new missiles at Israel

Iran has firmly denied reports about any new missile launches from the Islamic Republic toward the occupied territories after the regime ceased its aggression early on Tuesday.

In a statement on Tuesday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces denied any missile launches from Iran toward the occupied territories after the regime was forced to halt its aggression against the Islamic Republic after 12 days.

The statement noted that some sources affiliated with the Zionist regime claimed that Iranian missiles had been fired at the regime's territory, but it wasn’t true.

Hours after the regime was forced to halt its aggression against Iran as part of a deal with US President Donald Trump, Israeli war affairs minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the Israeli military to “respond forcefully” to what he claimed to be Iran’s violation of the "truce."

A well-informed source told Press TV that the claim was just a pretext to initiate the breach of the so-called "truce" agreement reached between the Israeli regime and Washington.

He said Iran is still in the process of assessing the evolving situation and whether or not the Israeli regime will adhere to the agreement it reached with Trump on halting its aggression.

The source said it was the Israeli regime that approached Trump with an offer to halt its attacks against the Islamic Republic after the American president hinted that the US would stay away from the war following Iranian missile strikes on a US base in Qatar.

After the Iranian retaliation, Trump took to social media to declare "peace" with Iran. According to US media, he had decided not to escalate any further after Iranian response.

Iranian retaliatory measures dubbed 'Operation Tidings of Victory' came in response to the American aggression against Iranian nuclear sites early on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials have warned that any breach of the agreement between Tel Aviv and Washington on cessation of hostilities would be met with stronger retaliation.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) chief commander, Major General Mohammad Pakpour, in a statement early on Tuesday warned that any renewed aggression against Iran would prompt the Islamic Republic to teach Washington a "historic lesson."

Pakpour also denounced Trump's decision to order the aggression in line with Washington's unfaltering support for the "nefarious and child-killing" Israeli regime.

He said such efforts amounted to the US president "sacrificing the interests and security of the American people for the survival of the Israeli regime."

The aggression on the Islamic Republic ended after 12 days. On June 13, the Israeli regime launched unprovoked and unlawful attacks across Iran, claiming the lives of top-ranking military commanders, nuclear scientists and ordinary citizens.

In response, Iranian armed forces launched multiple waves of missile and drone strikes at the occupied territories, targeting key military, intelligence and industrial facilities.

The retaliatory operations debunked the myth of Israeli military prowess, and forced the United States to intervene on behalf of the regime at Netanyahu's request.

Iran hits occupied territories ahead of truce

Iranian armed forces fired almost a dozen missiles towards different targets in the occupied territories as part of retaliatory strikes just before the regime halted its aggression, after overnight Israeli aggression against Iran.

Israeli media reported that at least 11 missiles were launched from Iran in five salvos on Tuesday morning.

At least 8 people were killed and 30 others injured in Iran’s attacks on Beersheba.

Air raid sirens also sounded in Haifa and areas in the northern part of the occupied lands.

Meanwhile, explosions were also heard in Tel Aviv and central occupied territories.

The ceasefire came into effect on Tuesday. Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there was currently no truce agreement with Tel Aviv, but Tehran would halt its retaliatory attacks “provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people.”

He also thanked the country’s armed forces for “punishing” the regime.

On June 13, Israel launched a blatant aggression against Iran, killing military commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary civilians.

On June 22, the United States joined the Israeli regime in the assault and bombed three Iranian nuclear sites in a grave violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The Iranian armed forces promised to “open the gates of hell” to Israel and began waves of punitive missile and drone strikes on sensitive sites across the occupied territories.

A day later, Iran launched a wave of missiles at al-Udeid air base in Qatar — the largest American military base in West Asia.

In a statement following the successful retaliatory operation codenamed 'Tidings of Victory', Iranian armed forces said it came in response to the “blatant military aggression by the criminal regime of the United States” against the nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic.

This base serves as the headquarters of the US Air Force Command and represents the most strategic asset of the American military in West Asia.

WhatsApp use prohibited on congressional devices, says House Memo

Meta Platforms' WhatsApp messaging service has been banned from all United States House of Representatives devices, according to a memo sent to all House staff on Monday.

The notice said the "Office of Cybersecurity has deemed WhatsApp a high risk to users due to the lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption, and potential security risks involved with its use."

The memo, from the chief administrative officer, recommended using other messaging apps, including Microsoft Corp's Teams platform, Amazon.com's Wickr, Signal, and Apple's iMessage and FaceTime.

Meta disagreed with the move "in the strongest possible terms," a company spokesperson said, noting that the platform provides a higher level of security than the other approved apps.

In January, a WhatsApp official said Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions had targeted scores of its users, including journalists and members of civil society.

The House has banned other apps from staff devices in the past, including the short video app TikTok in 2022 due to security issues.

Iran-Israel ceasefire is now active, says Trump

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the ceasefire between Iran and Israel is “NOW IN EFFECT.” “THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The US leader had earlier said the truce would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations first. He said Israel would follow suit 12 hours later.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed gratitude toward the Iranian armed forces who punished Israel for its aggression until the very last minute.

“The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4am,” Araghchi wrote on X social media platform.

“Together with all Iranians, I thank our brave Armed Forces who remain ready to defend our dear country until their last drop of blood, and who responded to any attack by the enemy until the very last minute.”

US President Donald Trump announced on Monday a complete ceasefire between Israel and Iran, potentially ending the 12-day war.

But there was no confirmation from Israel and the Israeli military said two volleys of missiles were launched from Iran towards Israel in the early hours of Tuesday.

Witnesses later heard explosions near Tel Aviv and Beersheba in central Israel. Israel media said a building had been struck and three people were killed in the missile strike on Beersheba.

Israel, joined by the United States on the weekend, has carried out attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, after alleging Tehran was getting close to obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, ‘THE 12 DAY WAR’,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.

Iran and Israel traded fire Tuesday, unleashing salvos of missiles in the final moments leading up to a ceasefire deadline announced by US President Donald Trump.

Global Peace Index Report Warns: India’s Militarization in Kashmir may Ignite Regional War

The Global Peace Index 2025 identifies the Kashmir conflict as a major nuclear flashpoint, highlighting Indian brutalities since 1989 that killed 40,000 people. It notes that India has turned IIOJK into the world’s most militarized zone, while Pakistan’s AJK hosts only around 60,000 troops.Punchlines

India’s unprovoked missile strike on Pakistan in May 2025 over Pahalgam exposed its reckless militarism, risking a nuclear conflict that could escalate far beyond Kashmir.

The report’s use of the term “gunmen” for the 22 April Pahalgam attack reflects global refusal to label Kashmiri freedom fighters as terrorists, challenging India’s narrative. According to report, India deployed hundreds of thousands of troops, turning the Himalayas into one of the world’s most militarized zones. More than 40,000 people have died since 1989.

In August 2019, India illegally revoked Kashmir’s special status under Articles 370 and 35A, splitting the region into two Union territories.
India’s scrapping of Article 370 led to mass arrests, blackouts, and troop surge, deepening Kashmir’s alienation and human rights violations.
The report highlights that India has deployed around 500,000 troops in IIOJK, making it a heavily militarized zone, while Pakistan maintains only 60,000 along the LoC, showing a stark contrast in approaches.

Local police forces in IIOJK have swelled to an alarming 130,000, while peaceful AJK under Pakistan shows no signs of such militarization, highlighting the stark disparity.
India has used its Kashmir policy to fuel nationalist sentiment, portraying the August 2019 revocation of autonomy as fulfilling a long-standing promise of national integration.

The Kashmir conflict risks escalating into full-scale war, with potential unrest in both India and Pakistan, including a serious threat of anti-Muslim violence within India.
With half a million troops, local police, Rashtriya Rifles, and other forces, India has turned Kashmir into a military cage exposing its fascist control and the people’s ongoing struggle. The report warns that conflict in the region is highly likely within the next year.

Iran’s top general vows non-stop operations until Netanyahu is brought to his knees

Iran’s top military general has vowed to continue retaliatory operations against the Israeli regime “with full force” until Benjamin Netanyahu is brought to “utter helplessness.”

In a video statement on Monday, shortly after the 21st phase of Operation True Promise III was launched by the Iranian armed forces, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, said the operations will continue uninterrupted.

Major General Mousavi said the crimes committed by the Israeli regime and the United States “will not go unanswered” regardless of the extent of damage inflicted by the enemy.

“The very nature of this criminal act will not remain without a response, irrespective of the level of destruction,” the top general said, referring to the American aggression against Iranian nuclear facilities early on Sunday in brazen violation of international law.

He characterized US President Donald Trump’s involvement in the war against the Islamic Republic as a desperate effort to rescue the Zionist regime, particularly Netanyahu, whom he described as America’s “failing proxy” in the region.

“Trump, having witnessed Netanyahu’s collapse under the weight of defeat, decided to give him artificial respiration through this reckless act,” Major General Mousavi said.

US bombers, on the direct orders of Trump, targeted three nuclear facilities across Iran – Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow – on Sunday morning, drawing widespread outrage.

The aggression came amid the Israeli regime’s aggression that started last Friday. In response Iranian armed forces have inflicted heavy blows on the regime and its military infrastructure with its retaliatory operations under True Promise III.

Iranian officials have warned that the American aggression will not go unpunished.

True Promise III: Iran unleashes several new-generation missiles in fresh wave

Iran carried out the new phase of Operation True Promise III with a barrage of new-generation missiles, which made direct impacts across occupied territories.

The 21st phase kicked off at around 12:00 pm local time on Monday, with informed sources saying many new-generation missiles were used in today's retaliatory operation.

In a statement, the public relations department of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said the 21st wave of Operation True Promise III was launched in response to the continued aggression of the criminal Zionist regime.

The latest phase of the operation began with the firing of both solid- and liquid-fueled missiles and a combined assault using smart drones.

In this phase, the statement noted, for the first time, the multi-warhead Kheibar (Qadr-H) ballistic missile was used, employing new and surprising tactics to achieve greater precision, destructiveness, and effectiveness.

The missiles successfully struck strategic targets across the occupied territories, from north to south and central areas of the Zionist regime.

The IRGC statement emphasized that this “impact-driven operation” will continue with new special tactics, exploiting weaknesses in the enemy’s air defense systems, and will grow stronger and more powerful.

It added that drone combat operations “will not cease for a moment,” prompting the occupiers of the occupied territories “to constantly endure sirens, fleeing, and seeking shelter.”

Some sections of Israeli media reported widespread destruction of streets in several cities due to powerful blast waves on Monday that sent settlers back into the underground shelters.

For the first time, air raid sirens blared across the occupied territories for 35 minutes, reports said, indicating the massive wave of Iranian missiles used on Monday.

Once again, the multi-tier Israeli air defense systems failed to intercept the new-generation Iranian missiles, which made their way to intended targets across the occupied territories.

According to the source, Kheibar Shekan, Emad, Qadr, and Fattah-1 missiles were used in Monday's operation, which struck important Israeli military facilities across the occupied territories, including in Safed, Lachish, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Beit She’an.

The missiles directly targeted the Ashdod power plant, causing widespread power outages across the occupied territories, reports said.

These operations are in response to the continued Israeli military aggression against Iran, which has led to the martyrdom of more than 400 people since June 13, including top-ranking military commanders, nuclear scientists, professors, athletes and students.

In response Iranian armed forces have carried out 21 waves of missiles and drones against the occupied territories as part of Operation True Promise III, inflicting heavy blows on the regime and its military intelligence infrastructure.

On Sunday, the multi-warhead Kheibar Shekan ballistic missile was used for the first time during the 20th wave of Operation True Promise III.

The twentieth wave came just hours after the United States claimed to have struck three Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

According to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), a total of 40 solid- and liquid-fueled missiles were launched at strategic targets across the occupied Palestinian territories on Sunday.

“In this operation, for the first time, the IRGC Aerospace Force deployed the third-generation Kheibar Shekan multi-warhead ballistic missile, employing new and surprising tactics to achieve greater precision, destructive power, and effectiveness,” the statement said.

The Iranian armed forces have used many new-generation missiles in Operation True Promise III, including Kheibar Shekan, Fattah, Emad and Hajj Qassem.

Iran asserts its “full and legitimate right” to respond to US aggression, says UN envoy

Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations, speaking at an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Monday, strongly condemned the US military aggression on Iranian soil, saying Tehran reserves the complete and lawful right to defend itself under international law.

In a fiery speech, Amir Saeid Iravani said today marks yet another “shameful chapter in the political history of the United States,” referring to the early Sunday attacks on three peaceful Iranian nuclear facilities in Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow.

He said US President Donald Trump “personally carried out the most disgraceful part of this wicked scenario,” referring to Trump ordering the aggression and brazenly announcing it on his social media platforms, taking all and sundry by surprise.

Describing the Islamic Republic of Iran as an “independent and peace-seeking nation,” the envoy said the country had repeatedly warned the “warmongering US regime” against any aggressive actions prior to Sunday’s acts of aggression.

“Now, based on international law, Iran retains its complete and lawful right to respond to this blatant act of aggression,” Iravani declared, condemning the “premeditated and unprovoked” assault by Washington and linking it to the Israeli aggression against the people of Iran that started last Friday and has claimed more than 400 innocent lives so far.

“This attack (by the US) follows extensive military aggression by the Israeli regime,” the diplomat noted, branding the US justification as “false, absurd, and legally void.”

He slammed the US Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for their “selective behavior and double standards” on the Israeli and American attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites, calling it a “moral, political, and legal disgrace.”

The Iranian envoy also referenced the 2020 assassination of top anti-terror commander General Qassem Soleimani, calling it a “cowardly and gruesome act of terrorism carried out on the direct orders of the US president,” showing long-standing US hostility and impunity.

Iravani accused Israel of fabricating a deceptive narrative for over two decades, despite being a nuclear-armed regime operating outside international legal frameworks.

“Iran’s actions are fully consistent with Article 51 of the UN Charter, which recognizes the inherent right to self-defense,” he stated.

He urged the Security Council to act immediately under Chapter VII of the UN Charter to address the injustice and flagrant violations stemming from the U.S. and Israeli actions.

Humiliation of the international community

In his remarks, Russia’s representative to the United Nations also delivered a sharp condemnation of both American and Israeli aggression against Iran, calling it a blatant insult to international norms and a direct affront to the global community.

“We strongly condemn the US’s irresponsible and provocative actions against Iran,” Vasily Nebenzya asserted. “The attacks carried out by the United States and Israel constitute a complete humiliation of the international community.”

The diplomat criticized certain UN Security Council members for their silence and inaction, accusing them of lacking the courage to denounce Washington's aggression.

“Some members of this Council do not have the courage to condemn these attacks. The United States has shown time and again that it does not value diplomacy,” he remarked.

He further pointed out the glaring double standards regarding nuclear non-proliferation.

“Israel has yet to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), while Iran remains the most heavily inspected country in the world under the oversight of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” the Russian representative said.

Dangerous violation of UN Charter

In his speech, the Chinese envoy to the United States also condemned the US military attacks against Iran’s nuclear facilities as a grave breach of international law, warning that such actions undermine global peace and stability.

“The actions of the United States constitute a dangerous violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and Iran’s sovereignty,” Fu Cong stated.

He warned that the strikes have inflicted serious damage on the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.

“The US attacks have dealt a major blow to the global framework for preventing the spread of nuclear weapons,” he emphasized.

Clear violation of international law

Pakistani envoy to the United Nations, in his address to the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, voiced strong concern over the Israeli and American acts of aggression, calling them a breach of international law and urging the UN Security Council to take immediate action.

“We express our deep concern over the rising tensions following Israel’s aggression against Iran,” said Pakistan’s representative Iftikhar Ahmad. “The Security Council must reject the attacks on Iran and recognize them as a clear violation of international law.”

Pakistan also appealed to fellow Security Council members to support a proposed resolution calling for an unconditional ceasefire and the resumption of dialogue.

“We urge Council members to endorse a draft resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire without preconditions and a return to meaningful talks,” he noted.

Iran rules out diplomacy after US strikes nuclear sites

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has slammed the United States for sabotaging ongoing diplomatic efforts by launching airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Speaking at a press conference during the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Istanbul, Araghchi urged the international community to take a clear stance, saying "global norms and diplomacy are under direct threat."

"We were in the middle of negotiations," FM Araghchi said. "It was not Iran that walked away. The US abandoned diplomacy with missiles, not words," he added.

"They crossed a very big red line by attacking [Iran’s] nuclear facilities," Araghchi said.

The United States on Sunday bombed multiple nuclear facilities in Iran, with President Donald Trump calling the action "a spectacular military success."

Three Iranian nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — were struck using the US Air Force's B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.

Araghchi warned that the implications go beyond bilateral relations. "This is not just about Iran. It’s about the credibility of international law itself. The United Nations Charter is being challenged," he said.

The foreign minister also called on the UN Security Council to respond, urging it to formally denounce this act of aggression and reaffirm the principles of state sovereignty.

While emphasising Iran’s right to defend itself, Araghchi dismissed any suggestion that diplomacy could proceed under the current conditions. “You cannot bomb a negotiating partner and ask them to talk peace the next day.”

The foreign minister is scheduled to visit Moscow on Monday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where the recent developments will be high on the agenda.

'US not seeking regime change in Iran'

Separately, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that Washington was not seeking regime change in Tehran.

The Pentagon chief urged Iran's leaders to find an off-ramp to the conflict after President Donald Trump announced the strikes on key underground uranium enrichment site at Fordow, along with nuclear facilities in Isfahan and Natanz.

"We devastated the Iranian nuclear programme," Hegseth told a Pentagon press briefing, adding that the operation "did not target Iranian troops or the Iranian people."

Trump "seeks peace, and Iran should take that path," Hegseth continued. "This mission was not, and has not, been about regime change," he added.

Trump's intervention — despite his past pledges to avoid another "forever war" — threatens to dramatically widen the conflict after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran last week, with Tehran vowing to retaliate if Washington joined in.

From Tianjin to Gwadar: Can CPEC’s Flagship Port Replicate China’s Green Miracle?

They say, “不积跬步，无以至千里” a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. That morning, as our bus made its way through the quiet roads of Tianjin, rain began to fall softly not heavy, but enough to cast a dreamlike haze over everything. We were about to take a step not just into a port, but into the future.

I’m here in China as part of the CIPCC program, alongside fellow journalists from across the world. We've been traveling, learning, and reporting for over two months now and we still have twenty more days to go. Each day reveals a new dimension of China’s transformation, but few experiences have matched the impact of our visit to Tianjin Port, arranged under the “China Up Close: Tianjin Tour”, co-hosted by CGTN and the Tianjin Municipal People’s Government.

As we stepped out into the rain, the view that met us was nothing short of cinematic. Raindrops tapped gently on solar panels. Wind turbines loomed like watchful giants through the mist. Massive cranes moved with quiet precision, and the air which in any ordinary industrial zone would reek of fuel was crisp and fresh. This wasn’t just a port. It was a living statement of what’s possible when ambition aligns with responsibility.

Tianjin Port, once known mainly for its colossal scale over 121 square kilometers is now making history as the world’s first zero-carbon port. Over 30 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy power its operations annually, sparing the planet from almost 20,000 tons of carbon emissions every year. Instead of diesel-fueled machines, we saw automated electric cranes and driverless electric trucks moving containers with stunning grace and coordination.

What truly stayed with me was the AI-powered control center, where operators monitor fleets of over 100 self-driving trucks in real time. One operator can guide multiple vehicles from a single desk. It felt like watching a symphony of technology precise, silent, and deeply efficient.

The Chinese proverb “授人以鱼不如授人以渔” don’t just give a man a fish, teach him how to fish came alive here. Tianjin isn’t just fixing one port; it’s offering the world a blueprint. With an annual handling capacity of 22 million TEUs and over 500 million tons of general cargo, it proves that economic ambition and environmental integrity are not mutually exclusive they can, and must, coexist.

As a Pakistani journalist, I couldn’t help but think of Gwadar Port another vital node in the region’s maritime future. While Gwadar continues to develop under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), there is much we can learn from Tianjin. Not just in terms of infrastructure, but in adopting smart logistics, AI-based systems, and a long-term green vision. Gwadar’s potential is immense, and Tianjin offers a roadmap showing us that ports can be engines of both progress and preservation.

A heartfelt note of appreciation is due to the CGTN team, whose thoughtful organization and warm hospitality turned our visit into more than a media tour. Their professionalism, storytelling approach, and genuine openness created a space for real engagement not just with the infrastructure, but with the ideas behind it. They made sure we didn’t just observe; we understood.

The visit also deepened my personal appreciation for China’s approach to development. As someone trained to observe critically, I’ve seen how projects here are not only large scale and well-planned, but executed with a clear purpose blending tradition with futuristic thinking. Whether in the transport networks, urban planning, or climate-conscious initiatives, there’s a certain confidence in China’s progress. It is not loud or boastful it’s methodical, practical, and visible in everyday function. This is something any observer, regardless of background, cannot ignore.

As we left the port, the rain continued quiet and persistent, like the change happening at Tianjin. Through the misted windows of the bus, I took one last glance at the turbines turning steadily in the distance. It felt symbolic the rain washing the past, the port welcoming the future.

And as our journey in China continues for the next few weeks, one phrase keeps echoing in my mind:
“行胜于言” actions speak louder than words.

Tianjin Port isn’t talking about change. It is change.

India’s Mossad Connection: Iran Must Reconsider Who Its True Allies Are

Recent revelations have once again exposed India’s deep involvement in foreign espionage activities. This time within Iran’s own borders. A high-level raid by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards near Chabahar Port led to the arrest of 141 Mossad-linked agents, including 121 Indian nationals.

This is not the first incident of its kind. Just weeks ago, 72 Indian nationals were apprehended during the current conflict, exposing a growing pattern of India’s covert role in destabilizing the region, not only against Pakistan but now against Iran as well.

The discovery of encrypted documents, secret communication equipment, and links to militant networks like the BLA and BYC should compel Tehran to reassess its assumptions about India’s “friendship.” What has now come to light is a betrayal masked under the guise of diplomacy and trade.

India’s so-called “strategic autonomy” is a smokescreen. It acts as Mossad’s regional proxy, penetrating allies like Iran with covert ops.

121 Indians arrested on Iranian soil is not a diplomatic blunder; it’s a strategic violation of Iran’s sovereignty.
The “Project Gidon-Esha” slides found in Chabahar prove India’s joint involvement with Israel in orchestrating terrorism in Balochistan.

India’s intelligence agency RAW is laundering money, supplying arms, and creating digital propaganda cells, all exposed from Iranian servers.

India masquerades as Iran’s trade partner while using Mumbai-based shell companies to fund anti-Iran proxies like BYC.

Rajesh Singh a.k.a. “Ramzan,” an Indian CFO, funnelled $3.2 million to destabilize both Iran and Pakistan, while posing as a tech exporter.

Indian nationals operating under Mossad directives violated Iran’s trust, a proof that Delhi’s interests lie with Tel Aviv, not Tehran.

While Iran fights for regional independence, India secretly advances Israeli influence right under its nose.

From funding fake human rights campaigns to arming separatist rebels, India plays the long game of deception in West Asia.

If Iran wishes to secure its strategic depth, it must rethink its tolerance for Indian presence in sensitive zones like Chabahar.
Tehran must ask: Is India a partner or a parasite attached to Western and Zionist agendas?

Iran’s nuclear program struck hard, further attacks on the table: President Trump

President Donald Trump on Sunday said US air strikes had "completely and totally obliterated" Iran's main nuclear enrichment facilities, and warned of more attacks to come if Tehran does not seek peace.

In a televised address to the nation from the White House after the United States joined Israel's air campaign against Tehran, Trump called the US attacks a "spectacular military success."

Trump had earlier stunned the world by announcing on social media that US aircraft had struck Iran's Fordo nuclear enrichment plant, plus the Natanz and Isfahan facilities.

But the fresh US military entanglement comes despite Trump's promises to avoid another "forever war" in the Middle East — Iran has vowed to retaliate against US forces in the region if Washington got involved.

"Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran [...] must now make peace," said Trump.

"If they do not, future attacks will be far greater, and a lot easier," added Trump, who was flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for his address on Saturday evening for US audiences.

Trump said earlier on his Truth Social site that a "full payload of BOMBS" was dropped on the underground facility at Fordo, describing it as the "primary site."

Trump added that "all planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors."

Iranian confirmation

Earlier Saturday there were reports that US B-2 bombers —which carry so-called "bunker buster" bombs — were headed out of the US across the Pacific.

Trump did not say what kind of US planes or munitions were involved.

Iranian media confirmed that part of the Fordo plant as well as the Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites were attacked.

Trump spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the attacks, while the United States also gave key ally Israel a "heads up" before the strikes, a senior White House official told AFP.

Netanyahu congratulated Trump on the strikes, saying that "America has been truly unsurpassed."

Trump had said on Thursday that he would decide "within two weeks" whether to join Israel's campaign — but the decision came far sooner.

The US president had also stepped up his rhetoric against Iran in recent days, repeating his insistence that it could never have a nuclear weapon.

Israel and Iran have traded wave after wave of devastating strikes since Israel launched its aerial campaign on June 13, saying Tehran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian had warned earlier Saturday of a "more devastating" retaliation should Israel's nine-day bombing campaign continue, saying Iran would not halt its nuclear programme "under any circumstances".

On Saturday, Israel said it had attacked Isfahan for a second time, with the UN nuclear watchdog reporting that a centrifuge manufacturing workshop had been hit.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard meanwhile announced early Sunday that "suicide drones" had been launched against "strategic targets" across Israel.

Iran denies seeking an atomic bomb, and on Saturday Pezeshkian said its right to pursue a civilian nuclear programme "cannot be taken away [...] by threats or war".

Israel says it has pushed back Iran’s suspected nuclear programme by two years

Israel claimed on Saturday it has already set back Iran's presumed nuclear programme by at least two years, a day after US President Donald Trump warned that Tehran has a "maximum" of two weeks to avoid possible American air strikes.

Trump has been mulling whether to involve the United States in Israel's bombing campaign, indicating in his latest comments that he could take a decision before the two week deadline he set this week.

Israel said Saturday it's air force had launched fresh airstrikes against missile storage and launch sites in central Iran, as it kept up a wave of attacks it says are aimed at preventing their rival from developing nuclear weapons — an ambition Tehran has denied.

"According to the assessment we hear, we already delayed for at least two or three years the possibility for them to have a nuclear bomb," Israel's foreign minister Gideon Saar said in an interview published Saturday.

Saar said Israel's week-long onslaught will continue. "We will do everything that we can do there in order to remove this threat," he told German newspaper Bild.

Top diplomats from Britain, France and Germany met their Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Geneva on Friday and urged him to resume talks with the United States that had been derailed by Israel's attacks.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said "we invited the Iranian minister to consider negotiations with all sides, including the United States, without awaiting the cessation of strikes, which we also hope for."

But Araghchi told NBC News after the meeting that "we're not prepared to negotiate with them (the United States) anymore, as long as the aggression continues."

Trump was dismissive of European diplomacy efforts, telling reporters, "Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this."

Trump also said he's unlikely to ask Israel to stop its attacks to get Iran back to the table.

"If somebody's winning, it's a little bit harder to do," he said.

Any US involvement would likely feature powerful bunker-busting bombs that no other country possesses to destroy an underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordo.

On the streets of Tehran, many shops were closed and normally busting markets largely abandoned on Friday.

450 missiles

A US-based NGO, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, said on Friday based on its sources and media reports that at least 657 people have been killed in Iran, including 263 civilians.

Iran has not updated its tolls since Sunday, when it said that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians.

Since Israel launched its offensive on June 13, targeting nuclear and military sites but also hitting residential areas, Iran has responded with barrages which Israeli authorities say have killed at least 25 people.

A hospital in the Israeli port of Haifa reported 19 wounded, including one person in a serious condition, after the latest Iranian salvo.

Israel's National Public Diplomacy Directorate said more than 450 missiles have been fired at the country so far, along with about 400 drones.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted military sites and air force bases.

Madness

Western powers have repeatedly expressed concerns about the rapid expansion of Iran's nuclear programme, questioning in particular the country's accelerated uranium enrichment.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said that Iran is the only country without nuclear weapons to enrich uranium to 60%.

However, it added that there was no evidence it had all the components to make a functioning nuclear warhead.

The agency's chief Rafael Grossi told CNN it was "pure speculation" to say how long it would take Iran to develop weapons.

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the conflict was at a "perilous moment" and it was "hugely important that we don't see regional escalation".

Arab League foreign ministers gathered in Istanbul late Friday to discuss the war, Turkish state news agency Anadolu said, on the eve of a weekend gathering of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Switzerland announced it was temporarily closing its embassy in Tehran, adding that it would continue to fulfil its role representing US interests in Iran.

Iranians rally nationwide in support of armed forces amid Israeli aggression

Massive rallies were held in cities across Iran on Friday, following congregational prayers, to protest against Israeli-American aggression against the country and express solidarity with the Iranian armed forces.

In the capital, Tehran, tens of thousands of people marched from the University of Tehran in Enghelab Square to the iconic Azadi Tower in western Tehran.

Similar demonstrations took place in cities including Mashhad, Isfahan, Tabriz, Qom, Shiraz, Qazvin, Yazd, and Gilan, with participants reaffirming their unwavering support for the country’s armed forces

Demonstrators defied threats, carrying photos of martyrs and chanting vociferous against the Zionist regime and its Western backers, particularly the United States.

Slogans including “Death to the Zionist regime,” “Death to American arrogance,” and “Long live the martyrs” reverberated in the air as a mark of unity against the arrogant enemy.

People from all walks of life, representing all age groups, demonstrated a renewed determination to confront the Zionist regime and its imperialist allies.

“I am here for Iran, for the sacred soil of this land, for the martyrs, for the Leader. I pledge to stand by my country until my last breath and last drop of blood,” one young protester told the Press TV website in Tehran.

"People across the country are united today against the enemy because the red line has been crossed. We will avenge the sacred blood of our great martyrs," said another protester.

The rallies followed last Friday’s unprovoked Israeli aggression, which resulted in the martyrdom of many senior Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians, including children and women, prompting Iran’s retaliatory Operation True Promise III.

In the fifteen phases of the operation so far, Iranian armed forces – led by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) – have successfully targeted and decimated sensitive and strategic Israeli military and intelligence facilities in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Military experts say the missile and drone strikes have further exposed the ineffectiveness of the Israeli regime’s air defense systems, forcing illegal settlers and regime officials to flee their homes and seek shelter underground.

On Friday, massive rallies were also held in Iraq and Yemen in solidarity with Iran amid the Israeli regime's aggression, with participants condemning the regime's war crimes.

China pushes 4-Point peace plan Amid Iran-Israel escalation

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday put forward a four-point proposal to help end the Iran-Israel conflict in the Middle East, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning.

Chinese President Xi Jinping held phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which the two leaders exchanged views regarding the situation in the Middle East.

In a statement shared on social media, Mao Ning said that Xi’s proposal emphasizes four key points: an urgent ceasefire must be a priority; ensuring civilian safety must be a top concern; dialogue and negotiation are the fundamental solutions; and the international community’s peacemaking efforts are indispensable.

Chinese President said that the use of force is not the right way to resolve international disputes. He urged the conflicting parties, especially Israel, to cease fire as soon as possible, Xinhua reported.

The Chinese president said that protecting civilians’ safety is the top priority amid the Iran-Israel tensions, calling on the conflicting parties to strictly follow international law, and resolutely avoid harming innocent civilians.

Dialogue and negotiation are the fundamental way out, he said, calling on the international community, particularly major countries that have a special influence on the parties to the conflict, to make efforts to cool down the situation.

China stands ready to continue to strengthen communication and coordination with all parties, pool their efforts, and uphold justice, so as to play a constructive role in restoring peace in the Middle East, he said.

Israel-Iran aerial conflict rages into second week

Israel and Iran’s air war entered a second week on Friday and European officials sought to draw Tehran back to the negotiating table after President Donald Trump said any decision on potential U.S. involvement would be made within two weeks.

Israel began attacking Iran last Friday, saying it aimed to prevent its longtime enemy from developing nuclear weapons.

Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel. It says its nuclear programme is peaceful.

Israeli air attacks have killed 639 people in Iran, said the Human Rights Activists News Agency.

Those killed include the military’s top echelon and nuclear scientists.

Israel has said at least two dozen Israeli civilians have died in Iranian missile attacks.

Reuters could not independently verify the death toll from either side.

Trump to decide on US action in Israel-Iran conflict within 2 weeks, White House says

The White House said on Thursday that President Donald Trump will make a decision on whether the U.S. will get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict in the next two weeks.

Citing a message from Trump, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: “Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.”

Leavitt told a regular briefing that Trump was interested in pursuing a diplomatic solution with Iran, but his top priority was ensuring that Iran could not obtain a nuclear weapon.

She said any deal would have to prohibit enrichment of uranium by Tehran and eliminate Iran’s ability to achieve a nuclear weapon.

“The president is always interested in a diplomatic solution …he is a peacemaker in chief. He is the peace through strength president. And so if there’s a chance for diplomacy, the president’s always going to grab it,” Leavitt said. “But he’s not afraid to use strength as well I will add.”

Iran held direct talks with US amid intensifying conflict with Israel, diplomats say

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi have spoken by phone several times since Israel began its strikes on Iran last week, in a bid to find a diplomatic end to the crisis, three diplomats told Reuters.

According to the diplomats, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter, Araqchi said Tehran would not return to negotiations unless Israel stopped the attacks, which began on June 13.

They said the talks included a brief discussion of a U.S. proposal given to Iran at the end of May that aims to create a regional consortium that would enrich uranium outside of Iran, an offer Tehran has so far rejected.

U.S. and Iranians officials did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the matter.

China opposes ‘use of force’ after Trump Iran warning

China said Thursday it opposed the “use of force”, in response to a question about US President Donald Trump warning he was weighing US military action in the Israel-Iran conflict.

Beijing “opposes any act that… infringes upon the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of other countries, and opposes the use or threat of use of force in international relations”, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing.

China urged countries in the Middle East, “especially Israel”, to cease fighting on Thursday after fresh exchanges of fire with Iran, and as US President Donald Trump warned he was weighing US military action in the conflict.

“China strongly calls on all parties involved in the conflict, especially Israel, to put the interests of the region’s people first, immediately cease fire and stop fighting,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

Trump approves Iran attack plan: WSJ

President Trump told senior aides late Tuesday that he approved of attack plans for Iran, but was holding off to see if Tehran would abandon its nuclear program, people familiar with the deliberations said, ARY News reported quoting the Wall Street Journal.

Iran’s well-defended Fordow enrichment facility is a possible U.S. target; it is buried under a mountain and generally considered by military experts to be out of reach of all but the most powerful bombs.

In a separate development earlier the New York Times reported, citing a senior Iranian official that Iran would accept US President Donald Trump’s offer to meet soon.

Explosions reported in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem as Iran fires fresh salvo of missiles

Iranian media reported a new salvo of missiles fired at Israel Thursday, as the rivals traded fire for seventh day of the conflict after Israeli strikes on Iran on last Friday.

“The missiles roared over Tel Aviv,” the Iranian news agency Fars reported, while state television broadcast live images of the commercial hub.

Sirens sounded across Israel early Thursday as the Israeli military said it detected incoming missiles from Iran.

“A short while ago, sirens sounded in several areas across Israel following the identification of missiles launched from Iran toward Israel,” the military said in a post on Telegram.

Russia offers nuclear fuel to Iran for civil energy program from its enriched uranium

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said Iran has the right to peaceful nuclear power.

Putin told senior news agency editors in the northern Russian city of St Petersburg that Moscow had “a very good relationship with Iran” and that Russia could ensure Iran’s interests in nuclear energy.

Russia has offered to take enriched uranium from Iran and to supply nuclear fuel to the country’s civil energy programme.

Questioned about possible regime change in Iran, Putin said that before getting into something, one should always look at whether or not the main aim is being achieved before starting something.

European ministers to hold nuclear talks with Iran on Friday in Geneva, source says

The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain plan to hold nuclear talks with their Iranian counterpart on Friday in Geneva, a German diplomatic source told Reuters.

The ministers will first meet with the European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, at the German consulate in Geneva before holding a joint meeting with the Iranian foreign minister, the source said.

The plan has been agreed with the United States, the source added.

Iran and Israel launched new missile strikes at each other on Wednesday as the air war between the two longtime enemies entered a sixth day amid a call from U.S. President Donald Trump for Tehran’s unconditional surrender.

The Israeli military said two barrages of Iranian missiles were launched toward Israel in the first two hours of Wednesday morning.

Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv.

Israel told residents in a southwestern area of Tehran to evacuate so its air force could strike Iranian military installations.

Iranian news websites said Israel was attacking a university linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in the east of the capital.

Iranian news websites said Israel was also attacking a university linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in the country’s east, and the Khojir ballistic missile facility near Tehran, which was also targeted by Israeli airstrikes last October.

Turkiye’s Erdogan says Iran acting in self-defence

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israel of waging “crazed” attacks against Iran that amount to “state terrorism”.

Iran’s response, Erdogan said, is natural, legal and legitimate.

Speaking to members of his ruling Justice and Development Party in parliament, Erdogan said Turkiye wants to see the crisis resolved diplomatically and Ankara could play a constructive role.