Iran
France, Germany and UK want UN sanctions against Iran back
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom want the lifted UN sanctions against Iran reinstated. They have initiated a special procedure to this end. The sanctions were lifted in 2015 when Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program as part of a nuclear deal.
The United States and China were also involved in the deal, which is intended to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The European countries, also known as the E3, say Iran is not complying with the agreement. Therefore, they have activated the so-called snapback of the sanctions. This process takes thirty days.
Furthermore, the nuclear deal is scheduled to expire in October, making this potentially the last chance to activate it. In a statement to the UN Security Council, the European countries wrote that they are determined"to use all available diplomatic means to ensure that Iran never develops a nuclear weapon." They want Iran to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), among other things.
Iran calls it an"illegal and unjustified" move. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran will respond.
The E3 has been threatening snapbacks for some time and has held several talks with Iran in recent months. The US is no longer a party to the deal. That country unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 under President Donald Trump and subsequently reimposed sanctions on Iran. Earlier this year, the US and Israel bombed Iranian nuclear facilities.
The sanctions target, among other things, the Iranian economy and defense sector. The E3 hopes that Iran will actually be willing to make commitments by the end of September, thus preventing the sanctions from being imposed.
Today 16:47
Russia and China propose to extend Iran nuclear deal
Russia and China have prepared a proposal in the UN Security Council that would extend the Iran nuclear deal, which expires in October, by six months. The two countries are also urging the other parties to the agreement to immediately resume talks. A vote on the plan has not yet been requested.
The proposal comes after France, Germany, and the United Kingdom initiated a 30-day process to reinstate the lifted UN sanctions against Iran. The sanctions were lifted in 2015 when Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program. The Security Council will discuss this step behind closed doors on Friday. Russian UN diplomat Dmitry Polyansky says there is no legal basis for it.
The three countries want Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and resume negotiations with the United States. Iran considers the European countries' move provocative and says it seriously undermines its cooperation with the IAEA.
The United States supports the European countries' decision. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says it is in response"to Iran's continued violation of its nuclear obligations." Rubio also said the US is open to talks with Iran. The US unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. Earlier this year, the US bombed Iranian nuclear facilities. Israel also welcomes the European step.
Lebanon
Today 4:40 PM
UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon to leave in 2027
The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, will leave the country in 2027. The UN Security Council unanimously approved on Thursday a final extension of the peacekeeping mission's mandate until the end of next year, after which the mission will undergo a year-long"phase-out and withdrawal."
The peacekeeping mission has existed since 1978, following the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon. Its positions have come under repeated fire during the most recent fighting between Hezbollah and Israel.
Israel
Yemen
Today 15:03
Israel bombs Yemen's capital
Israel has launched another airstrike on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. The Israeli military reports that a Houthis military target was struck.
Residents told Reuters news agency that attacks had also hit an area near the presidential palace. It was the second time the city had been bombed in just a few days.
Israel and the Houthis have been attacking each other for some time. The Yemeni group attacks targets in Israel with rockets and drones in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Israel responds with retaliatory strikes in Yemen.
The Houthis, who control a large area in Yemen, have also launched attacks on international shipping, firing at ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Today 12:34
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Today 11:43
UN blames Israel for disappearing people during food distribution
The UN states that people are being"forcedly disappeared" at the scarce food distribution points in the Gaza Strip, according to experts working for the United Nations Office for Human Rights. In a statement, the group calls on Israel to end this"heinous crime" and prosecute those responsible.
"Reports of dying people disappearing from Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution centers searching for food are shocking," the statement said. The policy of misusing food"to deliberately and massively disappear people must be stopped immediately."
"The Palestinian population is being targeted again, and in their most desperate moments, the victims of hunger are also faced with the risk of being deported," the group said. The Israeli army, which is active in and around the GHF centers, refuses to provide information about the whereabouts of these people.
The GHF is a controversial American private foundation led by Johnnie Moore, an evangelical American with close ties to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The organization claims there is no"evidence of enforced disappearances" at GHF sites.
Critics argue that the GHF's mere four distribution centers are a tool Netanyahu uses to neutralize international organizations and oppress the Palestinian population. Civilians can pick up food parcels at these locations. According to the UN, more than a thousand people have been killed at the centers, which opened at the end of May.
The head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), Cindy McCain, stressed on Thursday that the WFP's 200 distribution centers in the Gaza Strip,"our trusted network," must be able to function again quickly."Enough is enough, Gaza is at a breaking point," McCain said after visiting Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip.
Today 11:19
The Netherlands and Sweden ask the EU to put more pressure on Israel
The Netherlands and Sweden have sent another letter to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urging increased pressure on Israel. They are calling, among other things, for the swift adoption of proposals allowing for targeted sanctions against extremist Israeli ministers and the suspension of the trade portion of the EU's cooperation agreement with Israel.
The letter was sent on Wednesday and signed by the Dutch and Swedish foreign ministers, Ruben Brekelmans and Maria Malmer Stenergard. The EU foreign ministers will meet in Copenhagen on Saturday for consultations. Denmark currently holds the EU presidency.
In addition to the aforementioned measures, the two ministers call for additional measures against violent Israeli settlers. They also reiterate their support for the proposal to partially suspend Israel's participation in the Horizon Europe program. The letter makes no mention of a boycott of settlement products. Furthermore, the countries call for sanctions against Hamas's political leaders.
The fact that Israel is violating the terms of the Association Agreement and failing to honor an agreement with the EU to allow more aid into Gaza prompted the ministers to write the letter.
This is the second letter from both countries to Kallas in a short period. Recently, the outgoing Minister Caspar Veldkamp (Foreign Affairs) also sent a letter to Kallas requesting, among other things, the temporary suspension of the trade portion of the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel.
Brekelmans and Stenergard write that the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains untenable and that Israel's decision to attack Gaza City further underscores the need for further action. They criticize Israel's decision to build a new settlement near Jerusalem, finding it unacceptable.
EU member states are divided on the issue, although the number of countries willing to take action against Israel is growing. However, whether there is sufficient support for this remains difficult to gauge, according to an insider. If they do reach an agreement, it will be decided during the next meeting, as the meeting in the Danish capital is informal.
In Copenhagen, Brekelmans will also advocate for a ban on imports from illegal Israeli settlements. If there is no support for this, the caretaker government will consider taking that step nationally, together with other countries.
Israel
Today 09:06
Microsoft fires employees after protests over Israel
Microsoft has fired two employees who protested Tuesday at its headquarters in Redmond, USA, against the company's services to Israel. The technology giant called this a serious violation of company policy.
During the protest by seven people in CEO Brad Smith's office, banners were hung, slogans were chanted, and a door was briefly barricaded. Protests also took place outside the headquarters. Police arrested the protesters, including former Microsoft employees.
The protesters are members of the action group No Azure for Apartheid. The name refers to Microsoft's Azure software. According to the activists, Israel uses Microsoft technology to gather intelligence on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. No Azure for Apartheid demands that the company stop providing services to Israel.
Palestinian territories
Today 05:22
Israel
Palestinian territories
Today 04:33
Israeli Foreign Minister Saar: 'There will be no Palestinian state'
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, when asked on Wednesday about the plan for a Palestinian state, said there would be none.
Saar made the statement to reporters after a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, who described the foreign minister as"very good".
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Palestinian territories
Today 02:36
Trump discusses Gaza policy with Tony Blair and Jared Kushner
President Donald Trump chaired a policy meeting on Wednesday to discuss the war in Gaza and future plans for the Palestinian territory. He received input from former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and former Middle East envoy.
According to a senior White House official, it was a regular policy meeting, which included the hostage issue, food aid and reconstruction.
Iran
Israel
Today 01:35
Israel carries out landing at former air base near Damascus
The Israeli army carried out an airborne landing on a former air defense base in southwest Damascus on Wednesday. According to two Syrian army sources, this occurred during a series of attacks in the region, after which the troops withdrew.
The base in the Kiswa region and the strategic hill of Jabal Manea were important strongholds for Iranian-backed militias during the time of deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. A day earlier, six Syrian soldiers were killed in the same area by Israeli drone strikes, Syrian state media reported.
According to a military source, materials likely left behind by pro-Iranian groups are still present in the area. There are also reports of casualties, although their number has not been confirmed. Israel has so far declined to comment on the attacks.
Yesterday 23:34
Iran has launched a large-scale cleanup operation at a nuclear-related site in northern Tehran that was hit by Israeli airstrikes in June. According to the Institute for Science and International Security, this cleanup could erase crucial traces of potential nuclear weapons development.
Satellite images show that damaged buildings were quickly demolished and debris completely removed. These include installations allegedly linked to physics research and to a group sanctioned by the US for missile and explosives projects.
The site, known as Mojdeh or Lavisan II, is linked by the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA to the AMAD plan, a nuclear program officially halted in 2003. The IAEA demands that Iran resume inspections as soon as possible, including in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan, and provide clarity on its uranium reserves.
