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SvennoJ on 18 April 2024
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Iran’s top diplomat to speak at UN Security Council

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian landed in New York City and will later address the UN Security Council as tit-for-tat attacks with Israel raise fears of a wider war in the Middle East.

He said the UNSC meeting will “focus on the Palestinian issue”, adding Israel’s war on Gaza has reached a boiling point.

“The spillover of this situation is clearly visible in the region,” he told reporters. “It is an opportunity to explain Iran’s views in line with the necessity of establishing lasting peace and security in the region.”


Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, left, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, centre, and Iran’s ambassador Hossein Akbari, right, review Iran’s consular building in Damascus that was targeted by Israel

 

Israel vs Iran: ‘Chances of regional explosion are real’

An Israeli response to Iranian strikes could drag the whole Middle East into a devastating war with global implications, Jordan’s top diplomat warns.

In an interview released by state media, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said his country is lobbying major powers against an escalation that would have far-reaching consequences for regional stability and security.

“The risks are enormous. That could drag the whole region into war, which would be devastating … and will have very, very serious implications for the rest of the world – including the US,” Safadi said. “The situation is too dangerous. The chances of regional explosion are real, and that has got to stop. We’ve got to make sure there’s no further escalation.”


IRGC chief warns Israel against hitting nuclear facilities: Report

The commander-in-chief of a division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps tasked with protecting Iranian nuclear facilities has threatened Israel with tit-for-tat if it goes after nuclear sites.

“The nuclear facilities of the Zionist enemy have been identified and all the necessary information from all targets is at our disposal,” Brigadier General Ahmad Haghtalab was quoted as saying by the semiofficial Tasnim news website.

“Our fingers are on the trigger of firing strong missiles to destroy the designated targets in response to a potential attack by them.”

The IRGC Nuclear Command was first publicly mentioned in March 2022 after multiple sabotage attacks blamed on Israel targeted Iranian nuclear facilities. Haghtalab also suggested Tehran may reconsider its stated policy of refraining from acquiring a nuclear bomb.

“If the fake Zionist regime wants to use the threat of attacking the nuclear centres of our country as a tool, reconsidering the doctrine and policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and deviating from previously stated considerations would be likely and imaginable.”




Lebanon accuses Mossad of assassinating Hezbollah-linked money man

“Lebanese security agencies have suspicion or accusations that Mossad was behind this operation,” Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi told The Associated Press, referring to the Israeli spy agency. “The way the crime was carried out led to this suspicion.”

Mohammad Srour, 57, who was sanctioned by the US, was found dead with thousand of dollars in cash scattered around him, in a resort town near Beirut. Pistols with silencers and gloves in a bucket were found at the scene, with chemicals used to remove fingerprints.

Mawlawi gave no evidence for his allegations but said Lebanon’s investigation is continuing. The suspicion that Israeli agents killed Srour comes during intensifying clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli troops.

Footage of attack on Hezbollah positions released by Israeli army

Israel’s military released a video of what it says are air strikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon as the border fighting becomes increasingly more deadly.

“During the night, air force fighter jets attacked targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation in the Khiam area,” a statement with the footage said.