US President Donald Trump accused the Democratic Party of leaking a classified intelligence report that contradicts his administration’s claims that recent US airstrikes had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities.
“The Democrats are the ones who leaked the information on the PERFECT FLIGHT to the Nuclear Sites in Iran. They should be prosecuted!,” Trump said on Truth Social on Friday.
The accusation followed after the report by the US Defence Intelligence Agency disclosed by two American media outlets CNN and New York Times mentioned that strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities have delayed the nuclear programme only by a few months, while much of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium was moved before the strikes.
Trump on Wednesday took to his social media slamming both media outlets for leaking the information.
“Fake news CNN, together with the failing New York Times, have teamed up in an attempt to demean one of the most successful military strikes in history. The nuclear sites in Iran are completely destroyed! Both the Times and CNN are getting slammed by the public,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Meanwhile, addressing a press briefing on Thursday White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said those who leaked the preliminary assessment on the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities “need to be held accountable for that crime.”
“This administration wants to ensure that classified intelligence is not ending up in irresponsible hands and that people who have the privilege of viewing this top secret classified information are being responsible with it,” said Leavitt.
“Clearly, someone who had their hands on this, and it was a very few people, very few people in our government who saw this report. That person was irresponsible with it. And we need to get to the bottom of it. And we need to strengthen that process to protect our national security and protect the American public,” she added.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe asserted that the agency had gathered “a body of credible evidence” suggesting that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure suffered extensive damage in recent US airstrikes, reinforcing the White House’s narrative that Tehran’s atomic ambitions have been drastically curtailed.
Ratcliffe, without divulging specifics, stated on Wednesday (local time), stating that the intelligence came from “a historically reliable source/method” and indicated that “several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.”
While Ratcliffe did not clarify whether his remarks represented a formal agency assessment or his personal interpretation of the data, the statement underscored the intelligence community’s ongoing review of the impact of Saturday’s coordinated US strikes on Iran’s Natanz, Fordow, and Esfahan sites.
The CIA’s remarks came as a counterpoint to an earlier preliminary analysis by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), which suggested that the airstrikes had not completely destroyed crucial components of Iran’s nuclear program.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday said that no arrangement or commitment has been made to resume negotiations with the United States, amid escalating tensions following recent attacks by Israel and the U.S. on Iranian territory.
In an interview with state broadcaster IRIB, Araghchi said the possibility of restarting talks remains under consideration, but any decision would be guided strictly by Iran’s national interests, Xinhua News Agency reported.
“Our decisions will be based solely on Iran’s interests,” Araghchi emphasized. “If our interests require a return to negotiations, we will consider it. But at this stage, no agreement or promise has been made, and no talks have taken place.”
Araghchi accused Washington of betraying Iran during previous efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal and lift U.S. sanctions, further deepening mistrust between the two nations.
He also confirmed that a law suspending Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has now become legally binding, following approval by both the Iranian Parliament and the Guardian Council, the country’s top constitutional oversight body.
“The law is now obligatory and will be implemented. Our cooperation with the IAEA will take a new shape,” he said, without elaborating on what form that cooperation might take moving forward.
Addressing the aftermath of the recent conflict with Israel, Araghchi described the 12-day war as having caused “serious” damage, noting that experts from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran are currently conducting a thorough assessment. He added that the possibility of demanding reparations is high on the government’s agenda.
The conflict began on June 13, when Israel launched airstrikes targeting multiple locations across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities. The attacks resulted in the deaths of several senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians, and came just days before Iran and the U.S. were expected to resume indirect nuclear negotiations in Muscat, Oman, on June 15.
In retaliation, Iran launched waves of missile and drone strikes on Israel, inflicting casualties and significant damage.
The conflict further escalated when, on Saturday, the U.S. Air Force struck three key Iranian nuclear sites. Iran responded on Monday by firing missiles at the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
The 12-day conflict concluded with a ceasefire between Iran and Israel on Tuesday, though tensions in the region remain high.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday announced that its 12-day military operation against Iran resulted in significant damage to three of the country’s main nuclear facilities, Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, dealing a major blow to the Iranian regime’s nuclear infrastructure.
The IDF asserted that Israel launched ‘Operation Rising Lion’ on June 13 intending to damage the Iranian nuclear and missile projects following the identification of progress in the three programmes whose ultimate goal was to “destroy the State of Israel”.
According to the Israeli military, to thwart the future of the program, 11 senior nuclear scientists who were central knowledge centres in the Iranian weapons group were eliminated, and the inactive nuclear reactor at Arak was also attacked to prevent its future use.
“The key building blocks of the missile manufacturing industry were attacked. More than 35 sites were attacked, 200 launchers and 50 per cent of all the Iranian regime’s launchers were completely destroyed. In total, more than 1,500 components, 15 enemy aircraft, more than 90 targets 80 surface-to-air missile launchers and 6 airfields were attacked. Hundreds of Iranian military forces were eliminated, dozens of commanders were attacked and more than 30 senior members of the Iranian regime’s security apparatus were thwarted,” read a statement issued by the IDF.
The IDF noted that throughout the operation it created increasing achievement and complete freedom of aerial action in the heart of Iran and fully met the objectives defined for the operation.
“Throughout the entire operation, high-quality and accurate intelligence, along with operational, technological and aerial capabilities, were evident. And alongside the entire offensive effort, the defence systems operated day and night,” the IDF stated.
Furthermore, the Israeli military mentioned that creating air superiority in Iranian skies, “the Israeli Air Force carried out 1,500 sorties and about 600 refuellings were made en route to Iran.”
“In the entire operation, 1,400 strikes were carried out by the fighter formation and 500 by the UAV formation, and the furthest of them was carried out at Mashhad airport, about 2,400 km from Israel, by a fighter jet. In addition, hundreds of interceptions of anti-aircraft missiles and drones were carried out. In total, 99per cent of the drones launched from Iran were intercepted,” said the IDF.
The Israeli military noted that during the 12-day operation, the Home Front Command, rescue and recovery forces operated in more than 170 locations across the country.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel has accepted a ceasefire proposal with Iran, marking the end of 12 days of intense hostilities between the two regional rivals.
In an official statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu declared that Israel had met all strategic goals of its military campaign, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, and even exceeded expectations.
“Israel had achieved all the objectives of Operation Rising Lion, and even far beyond that. Israel has removed a dual immediate existential threat – both in the nuclear domain and in the ballistic missile domain,” the statement read.
India’s engineering goods exports to the United States saw a 4.6 per cent increase in May this year, reaching $1.74 billion, even as exporters navigated uncertainty over tariff measures announced by President Donald Trump. The uptick reflects resilience in bilateral trade, particularly in high-value engineering segments.
Exports to major European economies also showed a positive trend. Shipments to Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands recorded healthy growth, helping offset a sharp decline in engineering exports to key Middle Eastern markets such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Pankaj Chadha, Chairman of EEPC India, attributed the fall in Middle East-bound shipments to escalating geopolitical tensions and emerging risks in the logistics chain. He added that aluminium exports also faced pressure due to heightened global competition.
This shift in regional trade dynamics contributed to a slight 0.82 per cent drop in overall engineering exports, which stood at $9.89 billion in May 2025. Despite this, engineering goods strengthened their position in India’s export basket, accounting for 25.53 per cent of total merchandise exports in May — a sign of the country’s growing manufacturing capabilities and rising demand for technologically advanced products.
On a cumulative basis, engineering exports rose by 4.77 per cent to $19.40 billion during the April-May period of FY 2025-26, up from $18.52 billion during the same period last year. The growth was more pronounced in April 2025, when engineering exports jumped 11.28 per cent to $9.51 billion.
Out of the 34 engineering export categories tracked in May, 26 showed positive year-on-year growth. Sectors such as machine tools, aircraft and spacecraft components, ships and boats, as well as non-ferrous metals like aluminium and zinc, recorded a decline in exports.
North America remained India’s top export destination for engineering goods with a 21.3 per cent share, followed by the European Union at 17.7 per cent and the West Asia and North Africa region at 14.3 per cent.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will attend a meeting of the Quad foreign ministers in Washington on July 1, ahead of the upcoming Quad Summit that India is set to host later this year, according to the U.S. State Department.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host the meeting, which will be attended by Foreign Minister Penny Wong of Australia and Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi of Japan, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Thomas Pigott said on Thursday.
Pigott noted that Secretary Rubio’s first diplomatic engagement after assuming office on January 21 was a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting, held just one day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, underscoring the new administration’s focus on the Indo-Pacific.
Next week’s meeting, he added, “builds on that momentum to advance a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.”
“This is what American leadership looks like: strength, peace, and prosperity,” Pigott remarked.
Jaishankar also confirmed the upcoming meeting on X, saying he had a preparatory telephonic conversation with Penny Wong on Thursday.
This will be the first Quad foreign ministers’ meeting since the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians in Jammu & Kashmir in April.
Before heading to Washington, Jaishankar is scheduled to inaugurate an exhibition at the United Nations on “The Human Cost of Terrorism” on Monday. India’s Permanent Mission to the UN said the exhibition will “highlight the devastating toll of heinous terrorist acts around the world.” The event will take place just a day before Pakistan assumes the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council.
The July 1 Quad meeting is expected to lay the groundwork for the upcoming Quad Summit in India, which will bring together President Donald Trump, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At their last interaction in February, PM Modi had expressed his eagerness to host President Trump for the Summit, reaffirming India’s commitment to Quad cooperation.
The upcoming meeting, the first significant foreign affairs dialogue following Trump’s return to office, signals a renewed U.S. focus on the Indo-Pacific at a time when tensions in the Middle East and Ukraine appear to have somewhat stabilised. With the Israel-Iran conflict easing, strategic attention is expected to shift back toward the Indo-Pacific, where China continues to pose challenges to regional security and sovereignty.
On June 26, 2025, in Vienna, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Igor Sekreta, met with the Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Gerd Müller.
For reference: UNIDO is a specialised UN agency with a core mandate to assist countries in modernising industrial production, promoting environmentally sound and sustainable industrial development, and introducing and adapting new technologies.
Belarus consistently supports the strengthening of UNIDO’s leading role in promoting sustainable industrial development across the globe and actively utilises the Organisation’s expertise and resources to enhance the competitiveness and environmental sustainability of its industries and to implement modern technologies and standards.
In December 2020, the Country Programme Framework for cooperation between the Government of Belarus and UNIDO was signed for an initial term of five years. It outlines the priority areas of expanded engagement and joint work, aligned with Belarus’s socio-economic development goals. Its duration has been extended until December 2030.
Belarus traditionally takes an active part in the work of UNIDO’s governing bodies. In November 2023, Belarus was elected for the fifth time to the Industrial Development Board.
I.Sekreta emphasised the symbolic significance of the meeting date – the 80th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter – and noted the document’s continued relevance today.
The Deputy Minister highlighted the growing demand for UNIDO’s services and expertise in supporting sustainable industrial development and praised the Organisation’s ability to foster effective cross-sectoral cooperation among public and private actors, as well as scientific and expert communities.
The parties discussed the current state and future prospects of Belarus–UNIDO cooperation, the implementation of ongoing technical cooperation projects, and priority areas for further partnership under the existing Country Programme Framework.
Special attention was paid to initiatives in the field of digital transformation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including projects in the Brest and Mogilev regions.
The interlocutors also discussed the launch of a project in the “Great Stone” Industrial Park, with Chinese financing, aimed at granting the park eco-industrial status. Satisfaction was expressed with the agreement reached on the UNIDO technical mission to Belarus at the end of July to discuss the matter on-site.
The parties discussed opportunities for uniting Belarus’ efforts to strengthen the industrial and production potential of African countries and UNIDO’s project activities aimed at promoting industrial development in Africa, including through the use of the UNIDO Centre of Excellence in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and the potential of Belarusian industry and agriculture.
The Deputy Minister also addressed the issue of middle-income countries (MICs) and UNIDO’s role as the only organisation with a dedicated Strategic Framework for Partnering with MICs, aimed at helping them overcome development challenges. In this context, Belarus reaffirmed its initiative to update UNIDO’s Strategic Framework for MICs, which will be reviewed at the upcoming 53rd session of the Industrial Development Board (Vienna, June 30 – July 3, 2025).
UNIDO Director General, Gerd Müller, commended the level of cooperation with Belarus and expressed gratitude for the country’s consistent and active support of the Organisation’s work.
G.Müller confirmed UNIDO’s readiness to expand technical cooperation with Belarus and invited the Belarusian side to participate in the 21st session of the UNIDO General Conference, which will be held from 23 to 27 November 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Parties expressed their readiness to further deepen practical cooperation.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Real Madrid secured a place in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 knockout stage with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Salzburg in their final Group H match on Thursday, setting up a clash with Juventus as group winners.
Entering the match level on four points, Real Madrid led the group only on goal difference. Both teams needed a win to avoid facing Manchester City in the Round of 16.
Under drizzling rain at Lincoln Financial Field, Xabi Alonso’s side dominated early and created sustained pressure. The breakthrough came in the 40th minute when Vinicius Jr. fired a left-footed strike from outside the box after a swift counterattack.
Just before halftime, Vinicius turned provider, flicking a backheel pass to Federico Valverde, who calmly slotted home from close range.
Gonzalo Garcia sealed the win in the 84th minute, capitalizing on a defensive error by Salzburg’s Joane Gadou to fire home a right-footed finish.
In the other Group H fixture, goals from Salem Aldawsari and Leonardo gave Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal a vital 2-0 win over Pachuca. The result sends Al Hilal through as group runner-up, making them the only Asian club to reach the knockout stage. They will meet Manchester City on Monday.
The Round of 16 kicks off Saturday with an all-Brazilian encounter between Palmeiras and Botafogo in Philadelphia, while Benfica takes on Chelsea in Charlotte.
H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, participated in the high-level discussion session titled “Where is the Belt and Road in 2025?” during her role as a co-chair of the World Economic Forum meetings, held from June 23-26, 2025, under the theme “Resilient Economic Policies to Keep Up with Global Change” in Tianjin, China.
The event saw high-level participation from policymakers, private sector leaders, and entrepreneurs from over 90 countries.
During her speech, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat pointed out that international partnerships are always built on shared and mutual interests, adding that the large number of countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative reflects its importance. She noted the celebration last year of the 10th anniversary of the initiative’s launch, where participating countries showcased projects being implemented under the Belt and Road Initiative, which supported sustainable infrastructure in areas such as transport, renewable energy, and ports.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat added that each of these projects reflects the national priorities of the countries, and for Egypt, the projects were consistent with the national agenda and strategic goals of the state.
Regarding the stimulating factors contributing to accelerating the implementation of these projects, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat outlined that the Belt and Road Initiative has been a real catalyst in many cases for advancing national strategies. She pointed to the emergence of a number of national and international initiatives that integrate with and support the Belt and Road Initiative in the recent period, noting that China launched the Global Development Initiative several years ago, and many projects implemented under that initiative run in parallel with and support Belt and Road projects.
H.E. Minister Al-Mashat also mentioned the issue of financing, explaining that much of the funding directed to these projects came through development finance. She highlighted that, with regard to sustainable transport and renewable energy projects in Egypt, there is a significant mobilization of resources towards the private sector, including low-cost development finance that has contributed to advancing investments.
Regarding relations between Egypt and China, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat stated that the historic visit of the Chinese President to Egypt in 2014 was an important starting point in Egyptian-Chinese relations, followed by the signing of MoU on the Belt and Road Initiative. She noted that relations between the two countries are based on two main aspects: the first relates to investments, with Chinese companies investing in Egypt, and the second is development cooperation between the two governments.
Regarding development cooperation, H.E. Minister Al-Mashat indicated that it includes projects in multiple fields such as health, satellites, and capacity building, noting the role of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) in supporting Egypt’s development agenda, in addition to China signing a debt swap agreement several years ago. She added that Egyptian-Chinese relations are also based on investment and trade, pointing to a large number of Chinese companies within the China-Egypt Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Egypt, where more than 150 companies operate, providing over 10,000 job opportunities, with diverse activities across multiple sectors.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat reiterated that the Belt and Road Initiative does not impose a specific plan on countries; it is not an initiative based on a centralized blueprint that obliges each country to a specific path or project. Instead, it is a flexible framework that adapts to the priorities of each individual country.
Regarding the issue of financing, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat referred to the “4th Financing for Development” conference to be held in Seville on June 30, a UN conference held every ten years focusing on ways to finance development in developing and emerging economies. She explained that one of the most prominent messages of this conference is that the world needs to reduce reliance on debt and increase the mobilization of resources from the private sector to finance development projects.
H.E. Minister Al-Mashat added that each country has full ownership in designing its projects, in line with its national vision, to then include these projects within the broader framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. Furthermore, the cost of implementing these projects represents a common challenge and has been a strongly debated issue on the global stage for years, requiring innovative solutions and multiple sources of financing. She noted that, concerning debt, there are many international initiatives aimed at addressing this issue, including “debt-for-development and investment swaps” mechanisms.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation – Egypt.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Athletic Club and FC Barcelona are in open conflict over Barca’s attempts to sign Spain international winger Nico Williams.
Barcelona is trying to sign Williams for the second consecutive summer, but with Athletic unwilling to negotiate the sale of their star player, Barca’s only option is to trigger his release clause, reportedly set at 58 million euros (68 million U.S. dollars).
Nico Williams (R) of Spain shoots during the UEFA European Championship 2024 Qualifying group round match between Spain and Cyprus in Granada, Spain, on Sept. 12, 2023. (Photo by Gustavo Valient/Xinhua)
Barca has struggled to comply with La Liga’s strict financial fair-play rules. Dani Olmo was only cleared to play after the club appealed to Spain’s Superior Sports Committee, and it remains unclear whether the club is now in a financial position to register new signings without first offloading players.
Athletic was angered by an interview Barcelona sporting director Deco gave to La Vanguardia earlier this week, in which he openly discussed Williams, claiming the player had informed Athletic of his desire to join Barcelona.
In response, Athletic asked both La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to examine Barca’s financial situation – a move that angered Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who told local press that Athletic should “mind its business.”
Athletic president Jon Uriarte met with La Liga president Javier Tebas on Wednesday, and the club confirmed Thursday that Barca’s “ability to sign players” was among the topics discussed.
“The meeting was held in Madrid in response to a request from Athletic Club made within the framework of compliance with financial fair play. Among the topics discussed was FC Barcelona’s ability to sign players,” confirmed the Athletic website.
The club also responded to Laporta’s remarks, saying it was defending its “legitimate interest… after FC Barcelona sporting director Anderson Luis de Souza ‘Deco’ publicly acknowledged that they will attempt to sign a player from our first team. This player has a contract with Athletic Club until June 30, 2027. Our job is to ensure that the rules of the competition are followed.”
Athletic further noted that Deco’s comments follow Laporta’s own admission that Barca “is working to comply with the 1:1 rule” – the regulation that allows clubs to spend income from player sales – and, therefore, the club is not currently meeting the conditions to register new players.
The pro-Barca press insists the club will sign Williams next week, but the saga looks set to continue throughout the summer.
Australian-Lebanese journalist and commentator Antoinette Lattouf’s unfair dismissal case win against the public broadcaster ABC in the Federal Court on Wednesday is a victory for all those who seek to tell the truth.
It is a breath of fresh air, after almost two years of lies and uncritical reporting about Israel’s genocide from the ABC and commercial media companies.
Lattouf was unfairly sacked in December 2023 for posting on her social media a Human Rights Watch report that detailed Israel’s deliberate starvation of Palestinians in Gaza.
Justice Darryl Rangiah found that Lattouf had been sacked for her political opinions, given no opportunity to respond to misconduct allegations and that the ABC breached its Enterprise Agreement and section 772 of the Fair Work Act.
The Federal Court also found that ABC executives — then-chief content officer Chris Oliver-Taylor, editor-in-chief David Anderson and board chair Ita Buttrose — had sacked Lattouf in response to a pro-Israel lobby pressure campaign.
The coordinated email campaign from Zionist groups accused Lattouf of being “antisemitic” for condemning Israel’s genocide and ethnic cleansing of Gaza.
The judge awarded Lattouf A$70,000 in damages, based on findings that her sacking caused “great distress”, and more than $1 million in legal fees.
‘No Lebanese’ claim Lattouf had alleged that her race or ethnicity had played a part in her sacking, which the ABC had initially responded to by claiming there was no such thing as a “Lebanese, Arab or Middle Eastern Race”, before backtracking.
The court found that this did not play a part in the decision to sack Lattouf.
The ABC’s own reporting of the ruling said “the ABC has damaged its reputation, and public perceptions around its ideals, integrity and independence”.
Outside the court, Lattouf said: “It is now June 2025 and Palestinian children are still being starved. We see their images every day, emaciated, skeletal, scavenging through the rubble for scraps.
“This unspeakable suffering is not accidental, it is engineered. Deliberately starving and killing children is a war crime.
“Today, the court has found that punishing someone for sharing facts about these war crimes is also illegal. I was punished for my political opinion.”
Palestine solidarity groups and democratic rights supporters have celebrated Lattouf’s victory.
An ‘eternal shame’ Palestine Action Group Sydney said: “It is to the eternal shame of our national broadcaster that it sacked a journalist because she opposed the genocide in Gaza.
“There should be a full inquiry into the systematic pro-Israel bias at the ABC, which for 21 months has acted as a propaganda wing of the Israeli military.”
Racial justice organisation Democracy in Colour said the ruling “exposes the systematic silencing taking place in Australian media institutions in regards to Palestine”.
Democracy in Colour chairperson Jamal Hakim said Lattouf was punished for “speaking truth to power”.
“When the ABC capitulated to pressure from the pro-Israel lobby . . . they didn’t just betray Antoinette — they betrayed their own editorial standards and the Australian public who deserve to know the truth about Israel’s human rights abuses.”
Noura Mansour, national director for Democracy in Colour, said the ABC had been “consistently shutting down valid criticism of the state of Israel” and suppressing the voices of people of colour and Palestinians. She said the national broadcaster had “worked to manufacture consent for the Israeli-US backed genocide”.
Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance chief executive Erin Madeley said: “Instead of defending its journalists, ABC management chose to appease powerful voices . . . they failed in their duty to push back against outside interference, racism and bullying.”
Win for ‘journalistic integrity’ Australian Greens leader Larissa Waters said the ruling was a win for “journalistic integrity and freedom of speech” and that “no one should be punished for speaking out about Gaza”.
Green Left editor Pip Hinman said the ruling was an “important victory for those who stand on the side of truth and justice”.
“It is more important than ever in an increasingly polarised world that journalists speak up and report the truth without fear of reprisal from the rich and powerful.
“Traditional and new media have the reach to shape public opinion. They have had a clear pro-Israel bias, despite international human rights agencies providing horrific data on Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
“Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people around Australia continue to call for an end to the genocide in Gaza in protests every week. But the ABC and corporate media have largely ignored this movement of people from all walks of life. Disturbingly, the corporate media has gone along with some political leaders who claim this anti-war movement is antisemitic.
“As thousands continue to march every week for an end to the genocide in Gaza, the ABC and corporate media organisations have continued to push the lie that the Palestine solidarity movement, and indeed any criticism of Israel, is antisemitic.
“Green Left also hails those courageous mostly young journalists in Gaza, some 200 of whom have been killed by Israel since October 2023.
“Their livestreaming of Israel’s genocide cut through corporate media and political leaders’ lies and today makes it even harder for them to whitewash Israel’s crimes and Western complicity.
“Green Left congratulates Lattouf on her victory. We are proud to stand with the movement for justice and peace in Palestine, which played a part in her victory against the ABC management’s bias.”
Australian-Lebanese journalist and commentator Antoinette Lattouf’s unfair dismissal case win against the public broadcaster ABC in the Federal Court on Wednesday is a victory for all those who seek to tell the truth.
It is a breath of fresh air, after almost two years of lies and uncritical reporting about Israel’s genocide from the ABC and commercial media companies.
Lattouf was unfairly sacked in December 2023 for posting on her social media a Human Rights Watch report that detailed Israel’s deliberate starvation of Palestinians in Gaza.
Justice Darryl Rangiah found that Lattouf had been sacked for her political opinions, given no opportunity to respond to misconduct allegations and that the ABC breached its Enterprise Agreement and section 772 of the Fair Work Act.
The Federal Court also found that ABC executives — then-chief content officer Chris Oliver-Taylor, editor-in-chief David Anderson and board chair Ita Buttrose — had sacked Lattouf in response to a pro-Israel lobby pressure campaign.
The coordinated email campaign from Zionist groups accused Lattouf of being “antisemitic” for condemning Israel’s genocide and ethnic cleansing of Gaza.
The judge awarded Lattouf A$70,000 in damages, based on findings that her sacking caused “great distress”, and more than $1 million in legal fees.
‘No Lebanese’ claim Lattouf had alleged that her race or ethnicity had played a part in her sacking, which the ABC had initially responded to by claiming there was no such thing as a “Lebanese, Arab or Middle Eastern Race”, before backtracking.
The court found that this did not play a part in the decision to sack Lattouf.
The ABC’s own reporting of the ruling said “the ABC has damaged its reputation, and public perceptions around its ideals, integrity and independence”.
Outside the court, Lattouf said: “It is now June 2025 and Palestinian children are still being starved. We see their images every day, emaciated, skeletal, scavenging through the rubble for scraps.
“This unspeakable suffering is not accidental, it is engineered. Deliberately starving and killing children is a war crime.
“Today, the court has found that punishing someone for sharing facts about these war crimes is also illegal. I was punished for my political opinion.”
Palestine solidarity groups and democratic rights supporters have celebrated Lattouf’s victory.
An ‘eternal shame’ Palestine Action Group Sydney said: “It is to the eternal shame of our national broadcaster that it sacked a journalist because she opposed the genocide in Gaza.
“There should be a full inquiry into the systematic pro-Israel bias at the ABC, which for 21 months has acted as a propaganda wing of the Israeli military.”
Racial justice organisation Democracy in Colour said the ruling “exposes the systematic silencing taking place in Australian media institutions in regards to Palestine”.
Democracy in Colour chairperson Jamal Hakim said Lattouf was punished for “speaking truth to power”.
“When the ABC capitulated to pressure from the pro-Israel lobby . . . they didn’t just betray Antoinette — they betrayed their own editorial standards and the Australian public who deserve to know the truth about Israel’s human rights abuses.”
Noura Mansour, national director for Democracy in Colour, said the ABC had been “consistently shutting down valid criticism of the state of Israel” and suppressing the voices of people of colour and Palestinians. She said the national broadcaster had “worked to manufacture consent for the Israeli-US backed genocide”.
Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance chief executive Erin Madeley said: “Instead of defending its journalists, ABC management chose to appease powerful voices . . . they failed in their duty to push back against outside interference, racism and bullying.”
Win for ‘journalistic integrity’ Australian Greens leader Larissa Waters said the ruling was a win for “journalistic integrity and freedom of speech” and that “no one should be punished for speaking out about Gaza”.
Green Left editor Pip Hinman said the ruling was an “important victory for those who stand on the side of truth and justice”.
“It is more important than ever in an increasingly polarised world that journalists speak up and report the truth without fear of reprisal from the rich and powerful.
“Traditional and new media have the reach to shape public opinion. They have had a clear pro-Israel bias, despite international human rights agencies providing horrific data on Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
“Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people around Australia continue to call for an end to the genocide in Gaza in protests every week. But the ABC and corporate media have largely ignored this movement of people from all walks of life. Disturbingly, the corporate media has gone along with some political leaders who claim this anti-war movement is antisemitic.
“As thousands continue to march every week for an end to the genocide in Gaza, the ABC and corporate media organisations have continued to push the lie that the Palestine solidarity movement, and indeed any criticism of Israel, is antisemitic.
“Green Left also hails those courageous mostly young journalists in Gaza, some 200 of whom have been killed by Israel since October 2023.
“Their livestreaming of Israel’s genocide cut through corporate media and political leaders’ lies and today makes it even harder for them to whitewash Israel’s crimes and Western complicity.
“Green Left congratulates Lattouf on her victory. We are proud to stand with the movement for justice and peace in Palestine, which played a part in her victory against the ABC management’s bias.”
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday said he was unaware of any intelligence suggesting Iran had moved any of its highly enriched uranium to shield it from U.S. strikes, amid continuing questions about the state of Iran’s nuclear program.
U.S. military bombers carried out strikes against three Iranian nuclear facilities early Sunday local time using more than a dozen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.
The results of the strikes are being closely watched to see how far they may have set back Iran’s nuclear program, after President Donald Trump said it had been obliterated.
“I’m not aware of any intelligence that I’ve reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be, moved or otherwise,” Hegseth told an often fiery news conference.
Trump, who watched Hegseth’s exchange with reporters, echoed his defense secretary, saying it would have taken too long to remove anything.
“The cars and small trucks at the site were those of concrete workers trying to cover up the top of the shafts. Nothing was taken out of (the) facility,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, without providing evidence.
Several experts have cautioned that Iran likely moved a stockpile of near weapons-grade highly enriched uranium out of the deeply buried Fordow site before the strikes, and could be hiding it in unknown locations.
They noted satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies showing “unusual activity” at Fordow on Thursday and Friday, with a long line of vehicles waiting outside an entrance to the facility. A senior Iranian source told Reuters on Sunday most of the 60% highly enriched uranium had been moved to an undisclosed location before the attack.
WHEREABOUTS OF URANIUM
The Financial Times, citing European intelligence assessments, reported that Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile remains largely intact since it was not concentrated at Fordow.
Hegseth’s comments denying such claims came at the news briefing where he also accused journalists of downplaying the success of the strikes following a leaked preliminary assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency suggesting they may have only set back Iran by months.
He said the assessment was low confidence, and, citing comments from CIA Director John Ratcliffe, had been overtaken by intelligence showing Iran’s nuclear program was severely damaged and would take years to rebuild.
U.S. senators briefed later on Thursday by Ratcliffe, Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it was clear the strikes had damaged Iran’s nuclear facilities, though it would take time to assess by how much.
“I will say it was not part of the mission to destroy all their enriched uranium or to seize it or anything else,” Republican Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton of Arkansas told reporters after the classified briefing, adding that he was confident the mission was “extraordinary.”
Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Intelligence Committee Democrat, said the only way to be certain about Iran’s nuclear capabilities was to have inspectors on the ground.
“It was clear, and again, this is long before this brief, that some of the enriched uranium was never going to be taken out by a bunker-buster bomb, so some of that obviously remains,” Warner said.
Tulsi Gabbard, who normally would conduct such briefings as director of national intelligence, did not participate. Trump said last week that she was wrong in suggesting there was no evidence Iran was building a nuclear weapon.
The four officials were due to brief the House of Representatives on Friday.
Senators are expected to vote this week on a resolution that would require congressional approval for strikes against Iran, which is not expected to be enacted.
At the Pentagon news conference, Hegseth described the strikes as “historically successful.” His comments came after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran would respond to any future U.S. attack by striking American military bases in the Middle East.
Khamenei claimed victory after 12 days of war, and promised Iran would not surrender despite Trump’s calls.
MEDIA ‘HATRED’
During the news conference, Hegseth criticized the media, without evidence, for having an anti-Trump bias.
“It’s in your DNA and in your blood to cheer against Trump because you want him not to be successful so bad,” Hegseth said.
“There are so many aspects of what our brave men and women did that … because of the hatred of this press corps, are undermined,” he said.
Trump praised Hegseth’s news conference as: “One of the greatest, most professional, and most ‘confirming’ News Conferences I have ever seen!”
On X, Hegseth thanked Trump for his praise.
During the press conference, Caine, the top U.S. general, largely stuck to technical details, showing a video testing the bombs on a bunker like the ones struck on Sunday.
Caine declined to provide his own assessment of the strike, deferring to the intelligence community. He denied being under pressure to present a more optimistic view of the U.S. strikes and said he would not change his assessment due to politics.
Uniformed military officials are supposed to remain apolitical.
“I’ve never been pressured by the president or the secretary to do anything other than tell them exactly what I’m thinking, and that’s exactly what I’ve done,” Caine said.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
TEHRAN, June 27 (Xinhua) — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday that no agreement or commitment had been reached to resume talks with the United States amid heightened tensions following Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iranian territory.
In an interview with state television channel IRIB, the Iranian foreign minister said the possibility of resuming talks was being considered, but would depend on whether Tehran’s national interests were protected.
“Our decisions will be based solely on Iran’s interests,” he said. “If our interests require a return to negotiations, we will consider it. But at this stage, no agreement has been reached, no promises have been made, and no negotiations have taken place.”
A. Araghchi accused Washington of betraying Iran during previous rounds of talks on resuming the 2015 nuclear deal and lifting US sanctions.
The Iranian diplomat also confirmed that the law suspending the country’s cooperation with the IAEA became binding after being approved by Iran’s parliament and endorsed by the Guardian Council, the country’s highest constitutional oversight body.
“Our cooperation with the IAEA will take on a new form,” said A. Araghchi.
According to him, “serious” damage was caused during the 12-day war with Israel. Experts from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran are currently conducting a detailed assessment. The issue of demanding reparations is high on the government’s agenda, the foreign minister added. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
SANAA, June 27 (Xinhua) — Yemen’s Houthi leader Abdel Malik al-Houthi said on Thursday that the group has fired 309 ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles and drones at Israel since mid-March in the second phase of its military campaign.
In a televised address to mark the Muslim New Year broadcast by the Houthi-controlled al-Masirah TV channel, A.M. al-Houthi said that 25 missiles and drones had been launched this month alone in what he called “quality military operations in support of Gaza.”
He confirmed that the Red Sea remains closed to Israel-linked shipping and accused Israel of continuing its offensive in Gaza with US support.
The rebel leader also called for mass rallies in Sanaa and other Houthi-controlled areas on Friday to express solidarity with the Palestinians and congratulate Iran on its “great victory and resilience.”
Meanwhile, Yemen’s internationally recognised government has accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of directly controlling missile systems used by rebels.
Yemeni Information Minister Muammar al-Iryani said Tehran is using Yemen as an “advanced missile platform” to threaten regional and international security while avoiding direct confrontation.
The Houthi group, which controls much of northern Yemen, began striking Israel in November 2023, weeks after the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in the Gaza Strip, in solidarity with the Palestinian people. –0–
Within the storytelling of Western politics and punditry there exists a fictional type of mental illness which only affects people the US empire doesn’t like.
If Iran gets a nuclear weapon, its crazy lunatic government will flip out and nuke us all.
Watch out for Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, those guys are a bunch of maniacal antisemites who want to attack Israelis just because they’re Jewish.
“The stories of the Western empire ask us to believe that everyone who finds themselves in the imperial crosshairs is an irrational actor whose loony behavior can only be attributed to some uncontrollable defect within their own minds, or who will soon snap and do something nutty if they are not contained by force.”
Oh no, Putin is invading Ukraine completely unprovoked because he’s a madman who hates freedom and won’t stop until he’s conquered all of Europe.
China is building up its military because the megalomaniacal Xi Jinping wants to take over the world; all those US military bases surrounding China are just a defensive measure to contain Beijing’s insanity.
Assad just went nuts one day and started slaughtering his own people out of nowhere.
Gaddafi is a sexual sadist who’s giving Viagra to his troops to help them commit mass rapes in Libya.
The fictional mental illness that only affects enemies of the Western empire Video: Caitlin Johnstone
So crazy Saddam Hussein is so crazy and evil he’s trying to obtain weapons of mass destruction to give Americans another 9/11.
The North Koreans used to be far too insane to be allowed to have nuclear weapons because they’d nuke San Francisco immediately, but after they obtained nuclear weapons they were miraculously cured of this rare psychological disorder.
The stories of the Western empire ask us to believe that everyone who finds themselves in the imperial crosshairs is an irrational actor whose loony behavior can only be attributed to some uncontrollable defect within their own minds, or who will soon snap and do something nutty if they are not contained by force.
One antagonist who never appears in these fairy tales of the Western empire is the Western empire itself. In the storytelling of the empire, there is no globe-spanning power structure which is constantly inflicting violence and destruction upon populations around the world while seeking to crush any nation who disobeys its dictates.
It’s just a bunch of irrational psychos, seeking nuclear weapons and becoming aggressively militaristic for no other reason than because they are crazy, while the totally normal alliance led by a totally normal country in North America innocently responds to their crazy behavior.
That’s the story. In real life, the most aggressive and unreasonable actor on the world stage by far is the empire-like power structure that is loosely centralised around Washington DC. Nobody else is constantly waging wars of aggression around the world. Nobody else is circling the planet with hundreds of military bases for the purpose of global domination. Nobody else has spent the 21st century killing millions of people and deliberately targeting civilians with starvation sanctions in countries on the other side of the planet.
Only the US-centralised empire has been doing these things.
Vicious imperial power But we are asked to believe that this vicious imperial power structure is the only rational actor on earth, and that those who resist its aggressions are the crazy ones.
And you are told that if you can’t see this, then you’re crazy too. You’re a crackpot. A conspiracy theorist. A paranoid nutball whose voice should be marginalised and whose ideas should be dismissed with a scoff.
You are crazy if you don’t believe what the world’s craziest power structure says about its enemies being crazy.
It is gaslighting on a global scale. It is madness, and that is why this civilisation has gone mad.
Let’s hope someone finds a way to protect the world from the insanity of the Western empire.
Within the storytelling of Western politics and punditry there exists a fictional type of mental illness which only affects people the US empire doesn’t like.
If Iran gets a nuclear weapon, its crazy lunatic government will flip out and nuke us all.
Watch out for Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, those guys are a bunch of maniacal antisemites who want to attack Israelis just because they’re Jewish.
“The stories of the Western empire ask us to believe that everyone who finds themselves in the imperial crosshairs is an irrational actor whose loony behavior can only be attributed to some uncontrollable defect within their own minds, or who will soon snap and do something nutty if they are not contained by force.”
Oh no, Putin is invading Ukraine completely unprovoked because he’s a madman who hates freedom and won’t stop until he’s conquered all of Europe.
China is building up its military because the megalomaniacal Xi Jinping wants to take over the world; all those US military bases surrounding China are just a defensive measure to contain Beijing’s insanity.
Assad just went nuts one day and started slaughtering his own people out of nowhere.
Gaddafi is a sexual sadist who’s giving Viagra to his troops to help them commit mass rapes in Libya.
The fictional mental illness that only affects enemies of the Western empire Video: Caitlin Johnstone
So crazy Saddam Hussein is so crazy and evil he’s trying to obtain weapons of mass destruction to give Americans another 9/11.
The North Koreans used to be far too insane to be allowed to have nuclear weapons because they’d nuke San Francisco immediately, but after they obtained nuclear weapons they were miraculously cured of this rare psychological disorder.
The stories of the Western empire ask us to believe that everyone who finds themselves in the imperial crosshairs is an irrational actor whose loony behavior can only be attributed to some uncontrollable defect within their own minds, or who will soon snap and do something nutty if they are not contained by force.
One antagonist who never appears in these fairy tales of the Western empire is the Western empire itself. In the storytelling of the empire, there is no globe-spanning power structure which is constantly inflicting violence and destruction upon populations around the world while seeking to crush any nation who disobeys its dictates.
It’s just a bunch of irrational psychos, seeking nuclear weapons and becoming aggressively militaristic for no other reason than because they are crazy, while the totally normal alliance led by a totally normal country in North America innocently responds to their crazy behavior.
That’s the story. In real life, the most aggressive and unreasonable actor on the world stage by far is the empire-like power structure that is loosely centralised around Washington DC. Nobody else is constantly waging wars of aggression around the world. Nobody else is circling the planet with hundreds of military bases for the purpose of global domination. Nobody else has spent the 21st century killing millions of people and deliberately targeting civilians with starvation sanctions in countries on the other side of the planet.
Only the US-centralised empire has been doing these things.
Vicious imperial power But we are asked to believe that this vicious imperial power structure is the only rational actor on earth, and that those who resist its aggressions are the crazy ones.
And you are told that if you can’t see this, then you’re crazy too. You’re a crackpot. A conspiracy theorist. A paranoid nutball whose voice should be marginalised and whose ideas should be dismissed with a scoff.
You are crazy if you don’t believe what the world’s craziest power structure says about its enemies being crazy.
It is gaslighting on a global scale. It is madness, and that is why this civilisation has gone mad.
Let’s hope someone finds a way to protect the world from the insanity of the Western empire.
Vinicius Jr scored one and set up another as Real Madrid secured a 3-0 victory over RB Salzburg on Thursday to seal top spot in Group H and advance to the Club World Cup round of 16.
The Spaniards finished with seven points, two clear of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal, who defeated Pachuca 2-0 in the day’s other group fixture. Austria’s Salzburg, with four points, and Mexican side Pachuca, who failed to register a point, were eliminated.
Real Madrid will next face Group G runners-up Juventus on Tuesday at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, while Al-Hilal take on Manchester City in Orlando on Monday.
Under steady rain in Philadelphia, Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid dominated proceedings against a lacklustre Salzburg, who created few clear-cut chances.
Salzburg’s 18-year-old goalkeeper Christian Zawieschitzky was sharp from the outset and denied Vinicius an early opener with a point-blank save.
The Brazilian forward squandered further opportunities while Gonzalo Garcia also missed a golden chance from a Vinicius cross near the half-hour mark.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 40th minute with Jude Bellingham threading a perfectly timed pass through to Vinicius, who danced past two defenders and unleashed from the edge of the box to leave Zawieschitzky with no chance.
Vinicius played a pivotal role in Real’s second during first-half added time, picking up a loose ball in the box and delivering an audacious back-heeled pass to Federico Valverde, who fired home from close range.
Real Madrid maintained control in the second half but continued to waste chances in front of goal and it was not until the 84th minute that Gonzalo Garcia wrapped up the win, lobbing over the Salzburg goalkeeper in a quick counter.
“I’m very happy with the goal and the assist. But now comes the most important part, the knockouts, and we’re looking forward to it,” Vinicius told DAZN.
“The vibes were good. We played very well in the first half, but we were a bit slower in the second. That’s normal given the matches coming up, where we can’t afford to slip up.”
Real should also be able to call on Kylian Mbappe for the knockout rounds after the French forward missed the entire group stage due to illness.
Mbappe returned to training on Wednesday after being struck down by acute gastroenteritis last week but Alonso said they decided to leave him out of the Salzburg match to allow him to make a full recovery for the knockout stage.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
TEHRAN, June 27 (Xinhua) — Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Thursday that a bill to suspend the Islamic Republic’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been submitted to the government for implementation following the Guardian Council’s approval.
The move comes amid heightened regional tensions following recent exchanges of attacks with Israel and the United States.
“Today, after the Guardian Council approved the constitution, the law on suspending cooperation with the IAEA was submitted to the government,” the speaker wrote on his social media page X.
He accused the IAEA of acting as a “defender of Israel’s anti-human interests” and said further cooperation was impossible until the safety of Iran’s nuclear facilities was guaranteed.
The bill was passed in a public session on Wednesday with 221 votes in favor and one abstention, according to Iran’s parliamentary news agency ICANA.
The legislative measure follows an escalation that began on June 13, when Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, killing several senior commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. Iran retaliated with missiles and drones against Israeli targets. –0–
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) was featured as the inaugural guest in YouTube’s new series, ‘YouTube in Session,’ which brings together members of Congress and YouTube content creators to foster conversation and civic engagement. Grassley sat down with Emily Jashinsky, host of UnHerd’s “Undercurrents” podcast, to reflect on his time in public service and discuss the latest on Iran, government oversight, the One Big Beautiful Bill and more.
Watch the full video HERE and below. Excerpts of Grassley’s remarks follow.
[embedded content]
On President Trump’s efforts to broker peace between Israel and Iran:
“I don’t think Iowans are different than Americans [on this issue]. They prefer peace to war, they prefer diplomacy to war… I think it’s not a war against Iran, it’s [a] war against Iran’s nuclear capability. I haven’t had the briefing on it that we’re going to get Thursday, but we assume that what’s been reported so far that…it’s decimated the Iranian nuclear program.
“I think it proves that the President says he’s a peacemaker. Look it – he had 60 days. He wanted to negotiate. At the end of 60 days, he put on another two weeks that really turned out to be two days. I think he worked very closely with the Israelis, and I think he had plans for the Israelis to accomplish a heck of a lot before we put our efforts in jeopardy. And I think now that this…ceasefire, if it holds – you don’t know what the Ayatollah’s thinking right now – but maybe it’ll bring about peace for another decade or two, or maybe longer than that.”
On what motivates Grassley’s public service:
“…I think [it’s] the responsibilities that we have to leave a better nation than we receive… I think since the pilgrims came here, this is about nine generations. Each generation’s left the country better than the previous generation. That’s a little bit in question now, but it’s my responsibility to continue that as best we can.
“And…being number one in the United States Senate, as far as seniority is concerned, puts me in a position for my number one interest – the state of Iowa, to represent that. But it goes way beyond the state of Iowa… I think it’s just the problems the country confronts, and your ability to help solve those problems.”
On the media’s developing role in political discourse:
“[Podcasts are] something we’ve found out in the 2024 election made a big impact, particularly on people under 50 years of age, or maybe under 40 years of age.
“I was maybe one of the first ones [in the Senate] to get a fax machine, and I did satellite back to Iowa once a month, on a TV interview that I did. But whether it’s that or radio programs I do – there’s three that I do every week, but there’s others I do once a month, maybe 10 or 12… [J]ournalism is a policeman, policing the political system we have. It’s to keep government constitutional, to keep those of us in government abiding by the law [and] being ethical… You expect the freedom of the press, the First Amendment and the people that practice journalism to take that seriously and keep government functioning, and reduce the cynicism that people have towards government or towards politicians. All of that is to build respect – because we may have the best Constitution in the world and the longest living Constitution in the world, but that very good piece of paper is useless if people don’t have respect for it. [Respect] for the institutions of government and for those of us that serve in government.”
On the importance of representative government:
“Whether it’s Twitter, or whether it’s the fax machine, or whether it’s radio programs, or whether it’s on podcasts…representative government is a dialogue with our constituents…
“I try to explain at my town meetings that I’m one-half of the process of representative government. You, my constituents, [are] the other one-half, and this face-to-face meeting we’re having is the best way to do it. But I only see a few thousand people face-to-face as I visit each one of the 99 counties every year for a Q&A. So, I have to depend upon email and postal mail and telephones and any way people want to communicate with me. Because I only see a few thousand people, but I’ve got three and one-tenths million constituents…You’re the other half of representative government, and you’ve got to have dialogue. I’ve got to know what’s on your mind.”
On FBI oversight and whistleblowers:
“There is great respect, maybe in both political parties, for the FBI. But then…what journalists exposed, as well as Chuck Grassley and other people… You find out that [the FBI] can’t be trusted, and that the word ‘political weaponization’ is entirely legitimate. I think I proved that with what I exposed about Special Agent Thibault and lot of other people that aren’t as famous as him. But I mean, they actually [said] within their job in the FBI that ‘we’re going to see how we can get Trump.’
“This all goes back to a pretty basic principle of government. What you learn in eighth grade civics: checks and balances of government. We not only appropriate money, we not only pass laws, and that’s not the end of it – you’ve got a responsibility to make sure that the executive branch faithfully executes those laws. That’s what it’s all about.
“And then these big departments – or even a small department – the people, the head of it, they can’t know what’s going on underneath. They ought to be listening to their whistleblowers… I think I have a reputation for taking most whistleblowing very seriously and some of this stuff has been exposed, and then you find out they’re retaliated against. Now, we’ve got a friendly administration in, and we’re getting some of these whistleblowers back into their job or we’re getting them back their reputation…but you shouldn’t treat whistleblowers that way. And if people like Christopher Wray and, before him, Comey – if they had listened to whistleblowers, this stuff would’ve never happened. Unless they wanted it to happen. And I can’t say they wanted it to happen, but you can’t know what’s going on below. And just patriotic people that I call whistleblowers – they just want the government to do what the government’s supposed to do and spend money the way Congress [and the people of this country] want it spent.
“So it’s just important that Congress do its oversight work, and it’s important that the executive branch listens to whistleblowers. There’s no reason for a whistleblower to come to me if the people that are in management in that department – from low to high – start listening to them.
“Everything that has been covered up in the first Trump administration, without Trump knowing it, and in the Biden administration – we’re getting the cooperation that I need to bring transparency to government, to show what was wrong and to get protection for the whistleblowers, getting them back their job. We’re getting full cooperation on that [from this administration], and we never got it out of Wray.”
On Congress delegating away too much of its authority:
“Just think, the recent trade policies of this administration [are] just a little bit more severe than previous administrations under both Republicans and Democrats. But that’s all because Congress in 1962 and 1974 delegated one of its 18 powers to regulate interstate and foreign commerce to the president. Now, you can take that back, but you can imagine – if you don’t have two-thirds vote to take it back, the president isn’t going to give it up.
“You‘ve got to write legislation [that’s] more specific. And it’s really easy to say, ‘Well, we don’t really know whether we should use this word or that sentence. Let’s just say, let’s give a broad authority and then let the regulators figure it out.’ That’s what the Supreme Court is now turning a corner on… In other words, anything over $100 million I think [in] economic impact – you better show us in the law exactly where Congress gave you the authority to do it. Now, this is going to put a big burden on Congress to write this legislation more specifically. That’s what we should be doing all the time anyway.”
On bipartisanship:
“Let me start with saying something I’m very sincere about saying: I don’t think a single senator dislikes me, and there’s no senator I dislike. And if anybody dislikes me, I don’t want to know who they are.
“And then another thing I think is pretty important is the fact that I try to work in a bipartisan way. So don’t take my word for it – go to the Georgetown University website. Click on Senator Lugar Center, and they do an index every year. And I’m always in the top 12, sometimes in the top five – nobody can beat Senator Collins; it’d be useless to try. But then also remember the Senate, as an institution, drives bipartisanship because [of] the 60-vote requirement to shut off debate to get to finality on a bill.
On Washington then vs. now:
“The biggest way [the Senate’s] changed in the 45 years I’ve been in the Senate is the first 25 or 30 years, we used to start at 10 a.m. on Monday and go to 4 p.m. on Friday. And now… we start the first vote at 5:30 on Monday, we work a full day Tuesday, a full day Wednesday, and usually by two in the afternoon, Thursday, it’s shut down.
“Now I want to make very clear – for an individual senator, there’s enough work between Iowa and here. You can work seven days a week if you want to… There’s plenty of work to do, more than just when the Senate’s in session. But if you’re going to solve this country’s problems, you’ve got to spend more than two and a half days a week doing it.
“…[W]e’ve got to do things more efficiently than we’re doing it. We’re basically nothing but a confirmation body, confirming nominations all the time.
“This Senate, under [Majority Leader] Thune, has passed more legislation than [former Majority Leader] Schumer did in the last two years, but there’s still a lot more we’ve got to do. I keep bringing up [that] we haven’t passed a new five-year Farm Bill. It’s supposed to be done in [20]23 and it hasn’t been done. I think it’ll be done this year. And then there’s 65 or 70 of us [senators] who want to get prescription drug prices down by bringing Pharmaceutical Benefit Managers under control – PBMs, nobody knows what they do, and if we knew what they do, we’d be find[ing] out some way of reducing prescription drug prices. How are you going to get those things [done] if you’re just working two and a half days a week?”
On the One Big Beautiful Bill:
“The [Senate Majority] Leader – and I’m proud of him for saying this – [said] we’re going to stay in session till we get this [bill] done… It’s got to be done.
“If you don’t get this bill passed, you’re going to have the largest tax increase in the history of the country – four and seven-tenths trillion dollars, over a 10-year period of time. It’s going to really hurt the middle class if we don’t do it.
“The Democrats are saying this bill is nothing but [to] cut taxes for billionaires. But there isn’t a rate change from [the] 2017 [tax cuts], so that’s intellectually dishonest to say that. And [the bill] does a lot for working men and women, like through the not taxing tips. And it helps senior citizens with a special credit for them, and it helps overtime pay and the economic benefits that comes from that.
“We’ve got to get this bill passed, because the economy is going to be disrupted very much if we have that big tax increase. And if we do pass it, it’s going to really help the economy grow.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Palestinians gather to receive food aid at a food assistance distribution point in Gaza City, on June 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
UN humanitarians said Thursday that its partners delivering health aid in Gaza reported a spike in preventable diseases linked to a lack of clean water, sanitation and fuel.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that in the last two weeks, more than 19,000 cases of acute watery diarrhea were recorded, alongside more than 200 cases each of acute jaundice syndrome and bloody diarrhea.
“These outbreaks are directly linked to the lack of clean water and sanitation in Gaza, underscoring the urgent need for fuel, medical supplies, and water, sanitation and hygiene items to prevent further collapse of the public health system,” the humanitarians said.
Palestinians collect items in the rubble of a destroyed building after an Israeli airstrike at the Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on June 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
The partners also reported yet another mass casualty incident for Al Aqsa Hospital following an airstrike in Deir al-Balah.
They said the hospital received more than 20 people killed and 70 others injured. Additional wounded patients had to be transferred to Nasser Medical Complex and two other health facilities.
“Civilians in Gaza continue to be killed or injured daily, whether in Israeli airstrikes, shelling, or while trying to find food for their families,” said OCHA. “These tragic events must not be normalized and must come to an immediate end.”
On a more positive note, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported delivering its first medical shipment into Gaza since March 2, when Israel imposed a full blockade on the strip. Nine trucks carrying essential medical supplies, 2,000 units of blood, and 1,500 units of plasma were transported from the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem border crossing.
Palestinians carry aid they received from trucks that entered the northern Gaza Strip, at a street north of Gaza City, on June 22, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
The WHO said the supplies were being distributed to priority hospitals. The blood and plasma were delivered to the cold storage facility at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, to be distributed to hospitals facing critical shortages amid a growing influx of injuries, many linked to incidents at the non-UN, militarized food distribution sites run by the United States.
The WHO said the shipment of the badly needed medical supplies is only a drop in the ocean.
OCHA said that to meet humanitarian needs and help reduce looting, it is essential to increase the flow of humanitarian and essential commercial goods into Gaza through multiple crossings and routes and facilitate their safe distribution across the strip.
The office said that on Wednesday, six out of 17 attempts to coordinate humanitarian movements inside Gaza were rejected outright by the Israeli authorities. The planned UN missions included trucking water and repairing roads. Nine other coordination attempts, including the removal of solid waste and collection of cargo from the crossings, were facilitated by the Israeli authorities. Two additional attempts were not made.
“The continued restrictions on humanitarian access are severely undermining life-saving operations,” the office said.
People carry the bodies of three Palestinians killed in an Israeli settler attack in the town of Kafr Malik east of Ramallah, central West Bank, on June 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
OCHA said it is gravely concerned about escalating violence and Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.
The office said it documented an attack where three Palestinians were killed and several others injured when hundreds of settlers, some armed and accompanied by Israeli forces, raided the village of Kafr Malik and set fire to occupied homes on Wednesday. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in the Ramallah governorate reported that Kafr Malik has a population exceeding 3,000.
OCHA said that in another attack on Wednesday, about 20 settlers set fire to farmland in Asira al Qibliya village in Nablus governorate.
“Civilians continue to bear the brunt of this prolonged Israeli occupation,” the office said of violence in Gaza and the West Bank. “OCHA reiterates its call for the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel, full respect for international law, and unfettered humanitarian access.”
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei attends the second round of Iran’s 12th parliamentary election in Tehran, Iran, May 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Thursday the United States gained nothing from the war against Iran and instead received a “harsh slap” in the face.
He made the remarks in a video message broadcast by state-run IRIB TV while congratulating the Iranian nation on its “victory” in the war with Israel and the United States.
“Despite all its propaganda and claims, Israel was almost knocked down and crushed under Iran’s blows,” said Khamenei.
He added that the Iranian missiles and other weapons managed to pass through Israel’s “advanced multi-layered defense” and raze to the ground many of Israel’s urban and military areas.
Khamenei said Israel should know that any aggression against Iran would be heavily costly for it.
He added the United States entered the war to rescue Israel, “but accomplished nothing from this war.”
He noted that the United States exaggerated its achievements in the war because they failed to achieve their objective and needed that to cover up the truth, emphasizing that “here again, the Islamic Republic of Iran achieved victory and responded by giving the United States a harsh slap in the face.”
Khamenei said Iran attacked U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, “which is among the U.S. important bases in the West Asia region,” and inflicted damages, stressing that some sought to downplay it and said nothing had happened.
On June 13, Israel launched major airstrikes on different areas in Iran, including nuclear and military sites, killing several senior commanders, nuclear scientists and many civilians. Iran responded by launching several waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel, inflicting casualties and damage.
On Saturday, the U.S. Air Force bombed three Iranian nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. In retaliation, Iran on Monday struck the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar with missiles.
Following the 12-day war, a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was achieved on Tuesday.
Children have been killed or injured in more than half of the fatal attacks at food distribution sites in Gaza since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operating four weeks ago, said Save the Children.
Save the Children analysed reports from the Gaza Media Office and the UN on the number and type of casualties at GHF and other aid distribution points since 27 May 2025, and found in 19 deadly incidents reported, children were among the casualties in 10 of them- or more than half of all incidents [1].
Some families in Gaza are so desperate – in some cases due to a lack of a healthy adult – that they are sending children to collect food at distribution points, unavoidably exposing them to the risk of being shot by Israeli forces, said Save the Children.
Since 27 May, more than 500 Palestinians have been killed and at least 3,000 injured by Israeli forces while trying to access aid, either at or on route to GHF distribution points, or while attempting to approach the very few other aid convoys delivered by the UN or NGOs, according toOHCHR.
Save the Children staff in Gaza say family members and neighbours have witnessed or experienced carnage at the distribution sites over the past month. Save the Children staffer Mohamed- said his neighbour, a father of four, had no choice but to go to a distribution as his family had run out of food and money. He went to Rafah and was shot and killed. Mohamad is now trying to help his neighbour’s widow; he says she is now destitute and traumatised – her children crying all the time.
Another staffer, Abdallah-, said that a member of his extended family went to a distribution site this month and witnessed a man shot and left bleeding on the ground. He said people were running over the injured man, trying to get to the food, with no one able to stop and help.
Save the Children’s Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, Ahmad Alhendawi, said:
“No-one wants to get aid from these distribution points and who can blame them – it’s a death sentence. People are terrified of being killed. One colleague told us today that even though his family is down to eating one meal a day, he won’t go to a GHF distribution, because he believes his life is worth more than a bag of flour.
“And to add to the dystopian horror show, children are also being killed and injured trying to reach aid – aid they have a right to. Other families tell us they are now too weak to compete to pick up food. What is happening here is nothing short of abhorrent.
“No child should be killed searching for food. This is not a humanitarian operation – it’s a death trap. Forcing civilians into fenced-in zones only for them to be gunned down is the opposite of humanitarian – it’s inhumane. And it is not the only option. There is an established humanitarian aid system which must be allowed to function. States have a choice. They can’t undo the past, but they can act now – to stop this, uphold international law, and let experienced humanitarian organisations deliver aid safely and with dignity. A party to conflict cannot be allowed to continue weaponising aid, humanitarian access, and starvation.”
The Government of Israel continues to maintain a siege on the majority of lifesaving supplies and commercial goods entering Gaza, creating a situation termed by UN officials as ‘engineered scarcity.’ While death and injury remain the primary risks for children at these distribution sites, the UN has reported additional risks including separation from families.
Save the Children is running a primary healthcare centre in Deir Al-Balah, providing essential services to children, mothers, and families, including screening and treatment for malnutrition. Our teams deliver lifesaving water, run child-friendly spaces that offer safe places for children to play and receive psychosocial support, and set up temporary learning centres to help children continue their education during the crisis. Since the collapse of the pause on March 18, it has become extremely difficult for our staff to deliver these vital services, despite the colossal needs.
-Names changed to protect identities
[1] Save the Children analysed reports from theGaza Media Officeand the UN on the number and type of casualties at GHF and UN distribution points since 27 May 2025. Save the Children found in the 19 fatal incidents reported, children were among the casualties reported in 10 incidents – or more than half.
About Save the Children NZ:
Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.
Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Theobald, Postdoctoral researcher, Institute for Ethics and Society, University of Notre Dame Australia
From 2015 to 2018, I spent 15 months doing researchwork in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city. As an anthropologist, I was interested in everyday life in Iran outside the capital Tehran. I was also interested in understanding whether the ambitions of the 1979 Revolution lived on among “ordinary” Iranians, not just political elites.
I first lived on a university campus, where I learned Persian, and later with Iranian families. I conducted hundreds of interviews with people who had a broad spectrum of political, social and religious views. They included opponents of the Islamic Republic, supporters, and many who were in between.
What these interviews revealed to me was both the diversity of opinion and experience in Iran, and the difficulty of making uniform statements about what Iranians believe.
Measuring the depth of antipathy for the regime
When Israel’s strikes on Iran began on June 13, killing many top military commanders, many news outlets – both international and those run by the Iranian diaspora – featured images of Iranians cheering the deaths of these hated regime figures.
Friends from my fieldwork also pointed to these celebrations, while not always agreeing with them. Many feared the impact of a larger conflict between Iran and Israel.
Trying to put these sentiments in context, many analysts have pointed to a 2019 survey by the GAMAAN Institute, an independent organisation based in the Netherlands that tracks Iranian public opinion. This survey showed 79% of Iranians living in the country would vote against the Islamic Republic if a free referendum were held on its rule.
Viewing these examples as an indicator of the lack of support for the Islamic Republic is not wrong. But when used as factoids in news reports, they become detached from the complexities of life in Iran. This can discourage us from asking deeper questions about the relationships between ideology and pragmatism, support and opposition to the regime, and state and society.
A more nuanced view
The news reporting on Iran has encouraged a tendency to see the Iranian state as homogeneous, highly ideological and radically separate from the population.
But where do we draw the line between the state and the people? There is no easy answer to this.
When I lived in Iran, many of the people who took part in my research were state employees – teachers at state institutions, university lecturers, administrative workers. Many of them had strong and diverse views about the legacy of the revolution and the future of the country.
They sometimes pointed to state discourse they agreed with, for example Iran’s right to national self-determination, free from foreign influence. They also disagreed with much, such as the slogans of “death to America”.
This ambivalence was evident in one of my Persian teachers. An employee of the state, she refused to attend the annual parades celebrating the anniversary of the revolution. “We have warm feelings towards America,” she said. On the other hand, she happily attended protests, also organised by the government, in favour of Palestinian liberation.
Or take the young government worker I met in Mashhad: “We want to be independent of other countries, but not like this.”
In a narrower sense, discussions about the “state” may refer more to organisations like the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij, the paramilitary force within the IRGC that has cracked down harshly on dissent in recent decades. Both are often understood as being deeply ideologically committed.
Said Golkar, a US-based Iranian academic and author, for instance, calls Iran a “captive society”. Rather than having a civil society, he believes Iranians are trapped by the feared Basij, who maintain control through their presence in many institutions like universities and schools.
Again, this view is not wrong. But even among the Basij and Revolutionary Guard, it can be difficult to gauge just how ideological and homogeneous these organisations truly are.
For a start, the IRGC relies on both ideologically selected supporters, as well as conscripts, to fill its ranks. They are also not always ideologically uniform, as the US-based anthropologist Narges Bajoghli, who worked with pro-state filmmakers in Tehran, has noted.
As part of my research, I also interviewed members of the Basij, which, unlike the IRGC proper, is a wholly volunteer organisation.
Even though ideological commitment was certainly an important factor for some of the Basij members I met, there were also pragmatic reasons to join. These included access to better jobs, scholarships and social mobility. Sometimes, factors overlapped. But participation did not always equate to a singular or sustained commitment to revolutionary values.
For example, Sāsān, a friend I made attending discussion groups in Mashhad, was quick to note that time spent in the Basij “reduced your [compulsory] military service”.
This isn’t to suggest there are not ideologically committed people in Iran. They clearly exist, and many are ready to use violence. Some of those who join these institutions for pragmatic reasons use violence, too.
Looking in between
In addition, Iran is an ethnically diverse country. It has a population of 92 million people, a bare majority of whom are Persians. Other minorities include Azeris, Kurds, Arabs, Baloch, Turkmen and others.
It is also religiously diverse. While there is a sizeable, nominally Shi’a majority, there are also large Sunni communities (about 10-15% of the population) and smaller communities of Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Baha’is and other religions.
Often overlooked, there are also important differences in class and social strata in Iran, too.
One of the things I noticed about state propaganda was that it flattened this diversity. James Barry, an Australian scholar of Iran, noticed a similar phenomenon.
State propaganda made it seem like there was one voice in the country. Protests could be dismissed out of hand because they did not represent the “authentic” view of Iranians. Foreign agitators supported protests. Iranians supported the Islamic Republic.
Since leaving Iran, I have followed many voices of Iranians in the diaspora. Opposition groups are loud on social media, especially the monarchists who support Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deposed Shah.
In following these groups, I have noticed a similar tendency to speak as though they represent the voice of all Iranians. Iranians support the shah. Or Iranians support Maryam Rajavi, leader of a Paris-based opposition group.
Both within Iran, and in the diaspora, the regime, too, is sometimes held to be the imposition of a foreign conspiracy. This allows the Islamic Republic and the complex relations it has created to be dismissed out of hand. Once again, such a view flattens diversity.
Over the past few years, political identities and societal divisions seem to have become harder and clearer. This means there is an increasing perception among many Iranians of a gulf between the state and Iranian society. This is the case both inside Iran, and especially in the Iranian diaspora.
Decades of intermittent protests and civil disobedience across the country also show that for many, the current system no longer represents the hopes and aspirations of many people. This is especially the case for the youth, who make up a large percentage of the population.
I am not an Iranian, and I strongly believe it is up to Iranians to determine their own futures. I also do not aim to excuse the Islamic Republic – it is brutal and tyrannical. But its brutality should not let us shy away from asking complex questions.
If the regime did fall tomorrow, Iran’s diversity means there is little unanimity of opinion as to what should come next. And if a more pluralist form of politics is to emerge, it must encompass the whole of Iran’s diversity, without assuming a uniform position.
It, too, will have to wrestle with the difficult questions and sometimes ambivalent relations the Islamic Republic has created.
Simon Theobald received funding from the Australian National University during his research.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, holds talks with Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan in Beijing, capital of China, June 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan in Beijing on Thursday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China and Armenia have always respected and trusted each other, and that China is willing to work with Armenia to carry forward their friendship, consolidate mutual trust, deepen cooperation, contribute to the development and rejuvenation of the two countries, and create more benefits for their peoples.
Wang said China is willing to work with all countries, including Armenia, to practice true multilateralism and safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, as well as the international order based on international law. China is also ready to promote the implementation of the three major global initiatives, and jointly build a community with a shared future for all.
China will, as always, support Armenia in safeguarding its national sovereignty and independence, and in forging a path that is supported by its people and in line with its national conditions, he said, adding that China appreciates Armenia’s adherence to the one-China principle and its firm support for China’s position on issues concerning its core interests.
Mirzoyan said that Armenia will continue to follow the one-China policy and support China in safeguarding its core interests, and is willing to deepen cooperation with China in such fields as connectivity, economy and trade. Armenia is also ready to strengthen coordination with China on international and regional affairs, and to establish a more stable, friendly and strategic partnership between the two countries.
The two sides also exchanged views on deepening cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and on issues related to the Israel-Iran conflict.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Thursday that a law suspending the country’s cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog has been submitted to the government for implementation, following approval by the Constitutional Council.
The move, which halts Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), comes amid heightened regional tensions after recent military exchanges with Israel and the United States.
“Today, after the Constitutional Council’s approval, the law suspending cooperation with the IAEA was handed over to the administration,” Ghalibaf said in a post on social media platform X.
He accused the IAEA of acting as a “guardian of Israel’s anti-human interests” and said continued cooperation would be impossible until the security of Iran’s nuclear facilities could be guaranteed.
According to ICANA, the parliament’s official news agency, the bill was passed in an open session on Wednesday with 221 votes in favor and one abstention.
The legislative move follows a series of escalations that began on June 13, when Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, killing several senior commanders, scientists, and civilians. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets.
On Saturday, U.S. airstrikes hit Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. In response, Iran targeted the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday with missiles.
A ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect on Tuesday, ending 12 days of hostilities.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Driverless sedans glide smoothly to the curb, autonomous shuttles whisk travelers through airport terminals, and robotic sweepers hum along busy streets. These once-futuristic scenes are fast entering everyday life across the globe, and many of them are powered by Chinese technology.
From San Jose of California to Paris and Riyadh, China’s swiftly advancing autonomous driving industry is gaining ground, exporting cutting-edge solutions that are quietly transforming how people move and how cities function.
“Chinese autonomous driving firms are accelerating their global expansion, fueled by mature technologies, swift deployment cycles and rising international demand,” said Liu Jinshan, a professor at Jinan University in south China’s Guangzhou.
This photo taken on April 17, 2025 shows a WeRide Robobus (front) operating at an airport in Zurich, Switzerland. [Photo/Xinhua]
Going global
In late May, Chinese autonomous driving firm WeRide made headlines as its self-driving vehicles began rolling through the streets of the capital Riyadh and the historic city of AlUla in Saudi Arabia.
Almost simultaneously, another major player, Guangzhou-based Pony.ai, also shifted its global ambitions into higher gear, announcing a strategic partnership with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to launch autonomous transport services.
These moves are among the latest examples of a broader trend — a larger push by Chinese autonomous vehicle (AV) developers to expand their global presence.
Chinese-developed autonomous driving technologies have made inroads into a growing number of global markets — including the United States, France, Spain, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Chinese tech giant Baidu serves as a prime example of this momentum. In the first quarter of 2025, its autonomous ride-hailing arm, Apollo Go, completed over 1.4 million rides, up 75 percent year on year, bringing its global total to over 11 million rides by May.
Much of this success can be attributed to China’s innovation-friendly environment. By the end of 2024, the country had established 17 national-level intelligent connected vehicle testing zones, with more than 32,000 kilometers of open test roads and over 120 million kilometers of cumulative test mileage, according to official figures.
As Chinese AV firms gain global traction, collaboration with global players is deepening. Uber, for instance, has teamed up with WeRide and Pony.ai to integrate Chinese-developed AVs into its ride-hailing platform, starting with pilot operations in the Middle East.
“It’s clear that the future of mobility will be increasingly shared, electric and autonomous,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. “We look forward to working with Chinese leading AV companies to help bring the benefits of autonomous technology to cities around the world.”
This photo taken on March 11, 2025 shows an interior view of a WeRide Robobus operating in downtown Barcelona, Spain. [Photo/Xinhua]
Mutual benefits
The rise of China’s autonomous driving industry is creating ripple effects across global markets, offering development opportunities far beyond transportation.
Peng Jun, co-founder and CEO of Pony.ai, said the company’s overseas expansion has sparked deep collaboration across the broader mobility value chain — spanning auto manufacturing, R&D, logistics and smart mobility services.
“Deploying autonomous vehicles attracts global component suppliers to invest in local facilities, which helps form industrial clusters and boosts the competitiveness of local manufacturing,” Peng noted.
The benefits go beyond factories. According to Zhang Yuxue, WeRide’s director of PR and marketing, local partnerships have also led to job creation in areas such as safety operations, fleet management and technical support.
Notably, as Chinese AV companies venture into regions with varied road conditions, climates and regulatory environments, their technologies are evolving in step.
“Expanding globally helps us sharpen our algorithms to adapt to complex, real-world scenarios, ranging from the narrow urban roads of Europe to the extreme heat of the Middle East,” said Zhang.
Wu Qiong, an autonomous driving expert at Baidu, said Apollo Go is building a “full-spectrum technical validation chain” as it expands overseas. “For example, we’re testing in Switzerland, a right-hand-drive country with some of the world’s most stringent traffic laws, which offers one of the toughest proving grounds for autonomous vehicles,” Wu said.
This photo taken on May 25, 2025 shows a WeRide Robobus operating in the historic city of AlUla in Saudi Arabia. [Photo/Xinhua]
Challenges on road ahead
Despite impressive strides, industry insiders note that autonomous driving remains in the early stages of commercialization and global expansion.
China’s autonomous driving industry still faces significant headwinds on its path to global growth, said Wu Zhanchi, a professor at Jinan University. “Challenges range from adapting to overseas regulatory frameworks and overcoming high technical localization barriers, to ensuring compliance with cross-border data regulations and fierce competition from international giants,” Wu added.
“The sector also faces significant challenges in technological innovation and the development of sustainable business models,” said Zhu Xichan, professor at Tongji University in Shanghai.
Zhu emphasized that achieving scale is crucial for the long-term viability of the AV industry. “Global expansion not only broadens the range of real-world application scenarios but also boosts deployment volumes, both of which are vital for refining technologies and developing commercially viable models,” he said.
Yet, several companies have begun to tackle these hurdles head-on. Peng Jun of Pony.ai said the company has overcome key challenges — such as cost reduction and front-end mass production. “Our products have reached a level of maturity, and we have achieved positive unit economics,” he noted.
Looking ahead, Peng said Pony.ai will continue to expand in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, leveraging existing partnerships to accelerate the growth of its global footprint.
Zhang Yuxue echoed this sentiment, saying that WeRide is committed to broadening its international reach by promoting a diverse fleet of autonomous solutions, ranging from robotaxis and minibuses to freight trucks, sanitation vehicles and advanced self-driving systems.
General Manager of Apollo Go for Europe and the Middle East Zhang Liang said Baidu aims to build the largest driverless fleet in Abu Dhabi by partnering with local stakeholders to jointly foster a robust autonomous driving ecosystem.
In addition, Baidu is exploring cooperation with local new energy firms to develop innovative services, including battery swapping, which Zhang said will help improve operational efficiency.
“Given their growing track record in both domestic and international markets, there is good reason to believe that Chinese AV firms will secure a strong foothold in this global mobility market, ultimately becoming a hallmark of ‘Made-in-China’ innovation,” Wu noted.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has urged Neymar to focus on being ready for next year’s World Cup, saying the country’s all-time leading scorer remains crucial to his plans.
Neymar has not played for Brazil since October 2023, when he suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.
Neymar (3rd R) of Brazil vies with Luka Modric of Croatia during the Quarterfinal match between Croatia and Brazil of the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, Dec. 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Han Yan)
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star returned to action last October after more than a year on the sidelines but has since struggled with a series of minor muscle injuries.
“He is a very important player for our team in the World Cup,” Ancelotti said in an interview with South American football confederation CONMEBOL published on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Santos announced it had reached an agreement to extend Neymar’s contract until December. The 33-year-old has made just 12 appearances since rejoining his boyhood club from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in January.
“He needs to prepare well,” said Ancelotti, who took charge of Brazil last month after leaving Real Madrid. “He has time for that. I spoke to him about that: to prepare well, because we believe he should be a very important player.”
Brazil will conclude its World Cup qualifying campaign against Chile and Bolivia in September. The five-time World Cup winners are currently third in the 10-team South American zone standings and have already secured a place at football’s showpiece in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Neymar has scored 79 goals in 128 matches for Brazil since his international debut in 2010.
From 2015 to 2018, I spent 15 months doing researchwork in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city. As an anthropologist, I was interested in everyday life in Iran outside the capital Tehran. I was also interested in understanding whether the ambitions of the 1979 Revolution lived on among “ordinary” Iranians, not just political elites.
I first lived on a university campus, where I learned Persian, and later with Iranian families. I conducted hundreds of interviews with people who had a broad spectrum of political, social and religious views. They included opponents of the Islamic Republic, supporters, and many who were in between.
What these interviews revealed to me was both the diversity of opinion and experience in Iran, and the difficulty of making uniform statements about what Iranians believe.
Measuring the depth of antipathy for the regime
When Israel’s strikes on Iran began on June 13, killing many top military commanders, many news outlets – both international and those run by the Iranian diaspora – featured images of Iranians cheering the deaths of these hated regime figures.
Friends from my fieldwork also pointed to these celebrations, while not always agreeing with them. Many feared the impact of a larger conflict between Iran and Israel.
Trying to put these sentiments in context, many analysts have pointed to a 2019 survey by the GAMAAN Institute, an independent organisation based in the Netherlands that tracks Iranian public opinion. This survey showed 79% of Iranians living in the country would vote against the Islamic Republic if a free referendum were held on its rule.
Viewing these examples as an indicator of the lack of support for the Islamic Republic is not wrong. But when used as factoids in news reports, they become detached from the complexities of life in Iran. This can discourage us from asking deeper questions about the relationships between ideology and pragmatism, support and opposition to the regime, and state and society.
A more nuanced view
The news reporting on Iran has encouraged a tendency to see the Iranian state as homogeneous, highly ideological and radically separate from the population.
But where do we draw the line between the state and the people? There is no easy answer to this.
When I lived in Iran, many of the people who took part in my research were state employees – teachers at state institutions, university lecturers, administrative workers. Many of them had strong and diverse views about the legacy of the revolution and the future of the country.
They sometimes pointed to state discourse they agreed with, for example Iran’s right to national self-determination, free from foreign influence. They also disagreed with much, such as the slogans of “death to America”.
This ambivalence was evident in one of my Persian teachers. An employee of the state, she refused to attend the annual parades celebrating the anniversary of the revolution. “We have warm feelings towards America,” she said. On the other hand, she happily attended protests, also organised by the government, in favour of Palestinian liberation.
Or take the young government worker I met in Mashhad: “We want to be independent of other countries, but not like this.”
In a narrower sense, discussions about the “state” may refer more to organisations like the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij, the paramilitary force within the IRGC that has cracked down harshly on dissent in recent decades. Both are often understood as being deeply ideologically committed.
Said Golkar, a US-based Iranian academic and author, for instance, calls Iran a “captive society”. Rather than having a civil society, he believes Iranians are trapped by the feared Basij, who maintain control through their presence in many institutions like universities and schools.
Again, this view is not wrong. But even among the Basij and Revolutionary Guard, it can be difficult to gauge just how ideological and homogeneous these organisations truly are.
For a start, the IRGC relies on both ideologically selected supporters, as well as conscripts, to fill its ranks. They are also not always ideologically uniform, as the US-based anthropologist Narges Bajoghli, who worked with pro-state filmmakers in Tehran, has noted.
As part of my research, I also interviewed members of the Basij, which, unlike the IRGC proper, is a wholly volunteer organisation.
Even though ideological commitment was certainly an important factor for some of the Basij members I met, there were also pragmatic reasons to join. These included access to better jobs, scholarships and social mobility. Sometimes, factors overlapped. But participation did not always equate to a singular or sustained commitment to revolutionary values.
For example, Sāsān, a friend I made attending discussion groups in Mashhad, was quick to note that time spent in the Basij “reduced your [compulsory] military service”.
This isn’t to suggest there are not ideologically committed people in Iran. They clearly exist, and many are ready to use violence. Some of those who join these institutions for pragmatic reasons use violence, too.
Looking in between
In addition, Iran is an ethnically diverse country. It has a population of 92 million people, a bare majority of whom are Persians. Other minorities include Azeris, Kurds, Arabs, Baloch, Turkmen and others.
It is also religiously diverse. While there is a sizeable, nominally Shi’a majority, there are also large Sunni communities (about 10-15% of the population) and smaller communities of Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Baha’is and other religions.
Often overlooked, there are also important differences in class and social strata in Iran, too.
One of the things I noticed about state propaganda was that it flattened this diversity. James Barry, an Australian scholar of Iran, noticed a similar phenomenon.
State propaganda made it seem like there was one voice in the country. Protests could be dismissed out of hand because they did not represent the “authentic” view of Iranians. Foreign agitators supported protests. Iranians supported the Islamic Republic.
Since leaving Iran, I have followed many voices of Iranians in the diaspora. Opposition groups are loud on social media, especially the monarchists who support Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deposed Shah.
In following these groups, I have noticed a similar tendency to speak as though they represent the voice of all Iranians. Iranians support the shah. Or Iranians support Maryam Rajavi, leader of a Paris-based opposition group.
Both within Iran, and in the diaspora, the regime, too, is sometimes held to be the imposition of a foreign conspiracy. This allows the Islamic Republic and the complex relations it has created to be dismissed out of hand. Once again, such a view flattens diversity.
Over the past few years, political identities and societal divisions seem to have become harder and clearer. This means there is an increasing perception among many Iranians of a gulf between the state and Iranian society. This is the case both inside Iran, and especially in the Iranian diaspora.
Decades of intermittent protests and civil disobedience across the country also show that for many, the current system no longer represents the hopes and aspirations of many people. This is especially the case for the youth, who make up a large percentage of the population.
I am not an Iranian, and I strongly believe it is up to Iranians to determine their own futures. I also do not aim to excuse the Islamic Republic – it is brutal and tyrannical. But its brutality should not let us shy away from asking complex questions.
If the regime did fall tomorrow, Iran’s diversity means there is little unanimity of opinion as to what should come next. And if a more pluralist form of politics is to emerge, it must encompass the whole of Iran’s diversity, without assuming a uniform position.
It, too, will have to wrestle with the difficult questions and sometimes ambivalent relations the Islamic Republic has created.
Simon Theobald received funding from the Australian National University during his research.
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Associate Professor, New Testament, & Director of The Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy, University of Divinity
Wars are often waged in the name of religion. So what do key texts from Christianity, Islam and Judaism say about the justification for war?
We asked three experts for their views.
The Bible
Robyn J. Whitaker, University of Divinity
The Bible presents war as an inevitable reality of human life. This is captured in the cry of the Teacher in Ecclesiastes:
for everything there is a season […] a time for war and a time for peace.
In this sense, the Bible reflects the experiences of the authors and communities who shaped the texts over more than a thousand years as they experienced both victory and defeat as a small nation among the large empires of the ancient near east.
When it comes to God’s role in war, we cannot shirk from the problematic violence associated with the divine. At times, God orders the Hebrew people to go to war and enact horrendous violence. Deuteronomy 20 is a good example of this: God’s people are sent to war with the blessing of the priest but told to first offer terms of peace. If peace terms are accepted, the town is enslaved. Certain enemies, however, are decreed worthy of total annihilation, and the Hebrew army is commanded to destroy anyone and anything that doesn’t produce food.
On other occasions, war is interpreted as a tool, a punishment where God uses foreign nations against the Hebrew people because they have gone astray (Judges 2:14). You can also find an underlying ethic to treat the captives of war justly. Moses commands that women captured in war are to be treated as wives, not slaves (Deuteronomy 21), and in 2 Chronicles, captives are allowed to return home.
In contrast to war as divinely authorised, many of the Hebrew prophets express hope in a time where God will bring peace and people will “neither learn war any more” (Micah 3:4) but rather turn their weapons into tools for agriculture (Isaiah 2:4).
War is viewed as a result of human sinfulness, something that God will ultimately transform into peace. And that peace (Hebrew: shalom) is more than an absence of war. It is about human flourishing and unity between peoples and God.
Most of the New Testament was written during the first century CE, when Jews and emerging Christians were a minority within the Roman Empire. The military power of Rome is harshly critiqued as evil in resistance texts such as the Book of Revelation. Many early Christians refused to fight in the Roman army.
In this context, Jesus says nothing specific about war but generally rejects violence. When Jesus’s disciple Peter seeks to defend him with a sword, Jesus tells him to put away his sword because a sword only leads to more violence (Matthew 26:52). This is consistent with Jesus’s other teachings such as “blessed are the peacemakers” or his commands to “turn the other cheek” when struck or to “love your enemies”.
The reality is that we find various war ideologies in the Bible’s pages. If you want to find a justification for war in the Bible, you can. If you want to find a justification for peace or pacifism, that is there too. Later Christians would develop ideas of “just war” and pacifism based on biblical ideas, but these are developments rather than explicit within the Bible.
For Christians, Jesus’s teaching provides an ethical framework for interpreting earlier war texts through the lens of love for enemies. This counterpoint to divine violence and war points readers back to the prophets, whose hopeful visions imagine a world where violence and suffering are no more and peace is possible.
The Quran
Mehmet Ozalp, Charles Sturt University
Islam and Muslims emerged onto the world stage in the hostile environment of the seventh century. In response to major challenges, including warfare, Islam introduced pioneering legal and ethical reforms. The Quran and the Prophet Muhammad’s example laid out clear legal and ethical guidelines for the conduct of war, well before similar frameworks appeared in other societies.
Islam did this by defining a new term, “jihad” rather than the usual Arabic word for war, “harb”. While harb refers broadly to warfare, jihad was defined within Islamic teachings as a legal, morally justified struggle, which includes but is not limited to armed conflict. In the context of warfare, jihad refers specifically to fighting in a just cause under clear legal and ethical guidelines, rather than belligerent or aggressive warfare.
Between 610-622, Prophet Muhammad practised active non-violence in the face of the constant suffering, persecution and economic embargo he and his followers endured in Mecca, despite insistent approaches by his followers to take up arms. This showed that armed struggle cannot be taken up within the members of the same society, as this would lead to anarchy.
After leaving his home town to escape persecution, he established a pluralistic and multi-faith society in Medina. He took active steps to sign treaties with neighbouring tribes. Despite following a deliberate strategy of peace and diplomacy, the hostile Meccans and allied tribes attacked the Muslims in Medina. Engaging these attackers in an armed struggle was unavoidable.
The permission to fight was given to Muslims by the Quran verses 22:39-40:
The believers against whom war is waged are given permission to fight in response, for they have been wronged. Surely, God has full power to help them to victory. Those who have been driven from their homeland against all right, for no other reason than that they say, “Our Lord is God” […]
This passage not only permits armed struggle but also offers a moral justification for just war. It means war is clearly just when defensive — while aggression is unjust and condemned. Elsewhere, the Quran emphasises this point:
If they withdraw from you and do not fight against you, and offer you peace, then God allows you no way (to war) against them.
Verse 22:39 outlines two ethical justifications for warfare. The first is when people are driven from their homes (and land) – in other words, through occupation by a foreign power. The second is when people are attacked because of their beliefs to the point of violent persecution and attack.
Importantly, verse 22:40 includes churches, monasteries and synagogues. If believers in God do not defend themselves, all places of worship would be destroyed, so this is to be prevented by force if necessary.
The Quran does not allow for aggression, since “God loves not the aggressors” (2:190). It also provides detailed regulations on who is to fight and who is exempted (9:91); when hostilities must cease (2:193); and prisoners should be treated humanely and with fairness (47:4).
Verses such as 2:294 emphasise that warfare and any response to violence and aggression must be proportional and within limits:
Whoever attacks you, attack them in like manner as they attacked you. Nevertheless, fear God and remain within the bounds.
In the event of unavoidable war, every opportunity to end it must be pursued:
But if the enemy inclines towards peace, then you must also incline towards peace and trust in God.
The aim of military action is to end hostilities and remove the reason for warfare, not to humiliate or annihilate the enemy.
Military jihad cannot be pursued for personal ambition or to further nationalistic or ethnic disputes. Muslims cannot wage war on nations that have no hostility towards them (60:8). But if there is open hostility and attack, Muslims have a right to defend themselves.
The Prophet and the early caliphs specifically warned military leaders and all combatants that they must not act treacherously or engage in indiscriminate killing and pillage. He said:
Do not kill women, children, the elderly, or the sick. Do not destroy palm trees or burn houses.
Because of these teachings, Muslims have had legal and ethical guidelines throughout much of history to help limit human suffering caused by war.
The Torah
Suzanne D. Rutland, University of Sydney
Judaism is not a pacifist religion, but in its traditions it values peace above all else, and prayers for peace are central to Jewish liturgy. At the same time, there is a recognition of the need to fight defensive wars, but only within certain boundaries.
In the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, the recognition of the need for war is clear. Throughout their journeying in the desert, the Israelites (Children of Israel) fight various battles. At the same time, in Deuteronomy, the Israelites are instructed (chapter 12, verse 10):
When you go forth against your enemies and are in camp, then you should keep yourself from every evil thing.
The story of Amalek is the symbol of ultimate evil in Jewish tradition. Scholars argue this is because his army attacked the Israelites from the rear – killing defenceless women and children.
The Torah also stresses that army service is compulsory. Yet, Deuteronomy elaborates four categories of people who are exempt:
someone who has built a home but has not yet dedicated it
someone who has planted a vineyard but has not yet eaten of its fruit
someone who is engaged or in his first year of marriage
someone who is afraid, in case he influences other soldiers with his fear.
Judaism is not a pacifist religion, but in its traditions it values peace above all else. Shutterstock
It is important to point out that the disdain of war is so strong that King David was not permitted to build the temple in Jerusalem because of his military career. His son, Solomon, was allocated this task, but no iron was to be used in the building because this represented war and violence, while the temple was to represent peace, the ideal virtue.
The vision of peace for all humanity is further developed in the prophetic writings and the concept of the Messiah. This is seen particularly in the writings of the prophet Isiah, who envisaged an age when, as he describes in his idyllic vision:
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
The Mishnah, the first part of the Talmud, raises the concept of an “obligatory war” (milhemet mizvah). This encompasses the biblical wars against the seven nations said to inhabit the Promised Land, the war against Amalek, and the Jewish nation’s defensive wars. It is, accordingly, a clearly defined and recognisable class.
Not so the second category, “permitted war” (milhemet reshut), which is more open-ended and, as scholar Avi Ravitsky writes, “could relate to a preemptive war”.
After the Talmudic period, which ended in the 7th century, this debate became theoretical, since Jews living in Palestine and the diaspora no longer had an army. This was largely the case from the time of the defeat of the Bar Kokhba Rebellion against the Romans (132–135 CE), apart from a few small Jewish kingdoms in Arabia.
However, with the return of the early Zionist pioneers to the Land of Israel in the late 19th and 20th century, the rabbinic debates of what constitutes an obligatory, defensive war and what is a permitted war, as well as the characteristics of a forbidden war has reignited. This is a subject of deep concern and controversy for both academics and rabbis today.
Robyn J. Whitaker is affiliated with The Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy.
Mehmet Ozalp is affiliated with Islamic Sciences and Research Academy
Suzanne Rutland has received an Australian Research Council grant for her research on the Australian Jewry and funding from the Pratt Foundation, as well as an Australian Prime Ministers Centre (APMC) fellowship for her research on Soviet Jewry and Australia. She is also involved with numerous NGOs, including the Australian Jewish Historical Society (patron), the Australian Association for Jewish Studies (past president and committee member), and the Australian government’s expert delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. In addition, she is a board member of the Freilich Project for the Study of Bigotry at ANU; she is on an academic advisory committee at the Sydney Jewish Museum; she is the director of the Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism; and she is an Australian board member for Boys Town Jerusalem and a board member of Better Balance Futures for faith communities These roles are all undertaken in an honorary capacity. She is also writing the history of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry in an honorary capacity.
Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) joined Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Roger Wicker (R-Missouri), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina) and Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska) in introducing a Senate resolution in support of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, including Operation Midnight Hammer, and praising President Trump’s efforts to reestablish deterrence and achieve lasting peace in the region as deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize. Text is below, and you can view the full resolution here.
“Whereas, in August 2002, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s secret nuclear program was revealed, including the existence of a fuel enrichment plant in Natanz, Iran, and the heavy-water plant in Arak, Iran;
Whereas, on April 11, 2006, the Islamic Republic of Iran announced that it had enriched uranium for the first time to a level close to 3.5 percent at the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant in Natanz, Iran;
Whereas, in 2018, during a raid on a warehouse in Tehran’s Turquzabad district, Israel’s Mossad seized a vast nuclear archive of approximately 100,000 documents (commonly known as ‘‘Iran’s Atomic Archive’’), which revealed Iran’s AMAD Plan, a structured nuclear weapons program aimed at producing 5 nuclear warheads, including detailed designs, high explosive tests, detonator development and integration of a warhead into the Shahab 3 ballistic missile;
Whereas, on May 31, 2021, it was reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran failed to provide any explanation for the uranium remnants found at undeclared sites in Iran, and such an explanation had not been provided as of the date of the enactment of this resolution;
Whereas, on May 30, 2022, the International Atomic Energy Agency (referred to in this preamble as the ‘‘IAEA’’) reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran had achieved a stockpile of 43.3 kilograms (95.5 pounds) of 60 percent highly enriched uranium, which is roughly enough material to construct a nuclear weapon;
Whereas, on February 27, 2023, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran had enriched uranium to 83.7 percent, which is just short of the 90 percent threshold for weapons-grade fissile material;
Whereas, on September 16, 2023, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran banned the activities of nearly one-third of the IAEA’s most experienced nuclear inspectors in Iran, a decision that, according to IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, harmed the IAEA’s ability to monitor Iran’s nuclear program;
Whereas, on December 28, 2023, the Governments of the United States, of France, of Germany and of the United Kingdom jointly declared, ‘‘The production of high-enriched uranium by Iran has no credible civilian justification;”
Whereas, on July 23, 2024, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence published an assessment, in accordance with the Iran Nuclear Weapons Capability and Terrorism Monitoring Act of 2022 (22 U.S.C. 8701 note; section 5593 of Public Law 117–263), stating that the Islamic Republic of Iran has ‘‘undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so;”
Whereas, on November 15, 2024, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran has continued to expand its enrichment facilities and install additional advanced centrifuges, including at the Natanz Nuclear Facility, where there are 15 cascades of advanced centrifuges, and the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, where there are advanced preparations for the expansion of the facility;
Whereas, on February 26, 2025, the IAEA reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran has between 5 and 7 metric tons of enriched uranium and had increased its total stockpile of 60 percent highly enriched uranium to 274.8 kilograms (605.83 pounds), which, if further enriched, could be sufficient to produce 6 nuclear weapons;
Whereas, on May 31, 2025, the IAEA released a comprehensive report detailing Iran’s noncompliance with its Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons safeguards obligations, noting that Iran—
(1) increased its stockpile of 60 percent highly enriched uranium to 408.6 kilograms as of May 17, 2025, which constitutes a 50 percent increase compared to its February 2025 report, a stockpile sufficient for approximately 9 nuclear weapons (if further enriched);
(2) conducted undeclared nuclear activities at four sites—Lavisan-Shian, Varamin, Marivan, and Turquzabad—involving nuclear material and equipment; and
(3) provided inaccurate or contradictory explanations, which severely obstructed IAEA verification efforts and raises serious concerns about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program;
Whereas, on April 7, 2025, President Donald Trump stated, “You know, it’s not a complicated formula. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. That’s all there is;”
Whereas, on April 8, 2025, a senior official of the Islamic Republic of Iran rejected the dismantlement of its nuclear program by stating, “Trump wants a new deal: end Iran’s regional influence, dismantle its nuclear program and halt its missile work. These are unacceptable to Tehran. Our nuclear program cannot be dismantled;”
Whereas, on April 15, 2025, in an ultimatum issued to the Islamic Republic of Iran, President Trump—
(1) demanded that a new nuclear deal be signed within 60 days to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program; and
(2) warned that failure to comply with this demand would result in military action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons;
Whereas, on April 16, 2025, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran rejected United States demands and asserted its right to maintain its nuclear program and missile capabilities, escalating tensions and setting the stage for subsequent military operations by Israel and the United States;
Whereas, on June 13, 2025, Israel began Operation Rising Lion with strikes against the Iranian nuclear program, key Iranian military leaders and other strategic targets; and
Whereas, on June 21, 2025, the United States launched Operation Midnight Hammer, conducting targeted strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, which significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear program;
Whereas Iran has developed advanced ballistic missile systems, including the Shahab-3, Ghadr and Khorramshahr missiles, with ranges of up to 2,000 kilometers and payloads capable of carrying nuclear warheads, which poses a significant threat as delivery systems for nuclear weapons to targets in the Middle East and parts of Europe;
Whereas Iran, currently the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of United States citizens, including more than 600 United States servicemembers in Iraq through Iranian-backed militias, and other terrorist activities: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate—
supports the United States’ decisive military strikes under Operation Midnight Hammer to degrade Iran’s nuclear program;
affirms that the Islamic Republic of Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapons capability, which would threaten the security of the United States and its allies and partners;
commends the Trump administration for taking resolute military action and praises the bravery of United States servicemembers who participated in Operation Midnight Hammer;
concurs that President Trump’s efforts to reestablish deterrence are aimed at achieving lasting peace in the Middle East and worthy of consideration for the Nobel Peace Prize;
reaffirms the right of the United States Government to take any necessary measures to prevent the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons;
commends Israel for its targeted strikes under Operation Rising Lion against Iran’s nuclear facilities, ballistic missile infrastructure and regime targets, including the Natanz enrichment facility and missile launchers, and recognizes these actions are critical to neutralizing existential threats to Israel and its allies; and
condemns the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for launching missiles at United States forces in Qatar and Iraq, and for launching 21 missile attacks that indiscriminately target Israeli civilians.”