UN head tells Biden: Remove Iran sanctions

UN Secretary-General António Guterres asked US President Biden to remove the sanctions imposed on Iran by the Trump administration. In a report to the UN Security Council, Guterres urged the United States to, “extend concessions on oil trade with Iran.” Guterres’ appeal to Washington comes amid talks in Vienna to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

UN investigator calls for probe of Iranian President-elect

UN investigator on human rights in Iran calls for independent inquiry into allegations of state-ordered executions by Ebrahim Raisi. Elad Benari , Jun 30 , 2021 1:58 AM The UN investigator on human rights in Iran is calling for an independent inquiry into allegations of state-ordered executions of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 and […]

UN report accuses Israel of ‘grave violations’ against children

Annual review of children and armed conflict says IDF maimed hundreds of minors in West Bank, mostly by tear gas Lazar Berman28 June 2021, 7:42 pm An annual United Nations report on children in war accused Israel of hundreds of “grave violations” in 2020. The report, presented to the UN Security Council on Monday and […]

Lapid lands in UAE; Bennett expected to meet with Biden

Lapid lands in UAE; Bennett expected to meet with Biden Alternate prime minister Yair Lapid departed to UAE for first official visit since Abraham Accords * Bennett and Biden’s meeting to take place soon By LAHAV HARKOV JUNE 29, 2021 10:54 Foreign Minister Yair Lapid landed in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday morning for the first state […]

Iran to Deny UN Watchdog Access to Images of Nuclear Sites

An official representing the Islamic Republic claimed that the IAEA would no longer be granted access to images of nuclear sites throughout the country; The US secretary of state voiced serious concern for the nuclear deal’s future should Tehran follow through. As of Sunday, Iran claims it will no longer grant access to images of […]

Has Mossad done enough damage that IAEA inspection pause not a disaster?

Has Mossad done enough damage that IAEA inspection pause not a disaster? It has been four days since the IAEA-Iran inspections cooperation deal expired and the Islamic Republic seems to indicate it’s in no rush to answer whether cooperation would continue. By YONAH JEREMY BOB JUNE 28, 2021 22:41 You would think the sky was […]

Pro-Iranian forces claim they shelled Americans in Syria

Pro-Iranian militias have fired eight rockets at the American base in Syria in response to US airstrikes. By SETH J. FRANTZMAN JUNE 29, 2021 00:13 In the late afternoon, around dusk, reports emerged that pro-Iranian groups had shelled areas in eastern Syria across from Deir Ezzor, ostensibly targeting US forces near the Omar oil fields. […]

New Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid to Antony Blinken: Let’s keep disagreements private

JUNE 28, 2021 3:25 PM U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second from left, meets Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, right, in Rome, June 27, 2021. (Andrew Harnik/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) (JTA) — New Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, meeting with his American counterpart Antony Blinken for the first time, said his government wants to mend […]

Iraq condemns US strikes against militias as violation of national security

Washington cited the US right to self defense as justification for the strikes.  Halgurd Sherwani   32 Minutes Screenshot from a video released by US Central Command showing airstrikes against suspected PMF militia storage facilities in as-Sikak near the Syria-Iraq border, June 27, 2021. (Photo: Jack Holt/US CENTCOM) Iraq USA Airstrikes Yehia Rasool PMF ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi government […]

EU denies giving money to Palestinian security – but emphasizes it gives money to make Jerusalem “Palestinian”

  In the wake of the heavy handed Palestinian security forces attacking protesters over the past three days, people criticized the EU for funding the Palestinian police. In response, the European Union and the Palestinians explained exactly what they fund for Palestinians: The EU does not provide any financial or technical assistance to the Palestinian Security […]

Iran says no decision has been made yet on IAEA monitoring deal

Parisa Hafezi DUBAI, June 28 (Reuters) – Iran said on Monday it has yet to decide whether to extend a monitoring deal with the U.N. nuclear watchdog which lapsed last week, amid Washington’s warning that Tehran’s failure to renew it would complicate talks to revive its 2015 nuclear accord.”No decision has been made yet, either […]

‘House of One’: Berlin lays first stone for multi-faith worship centre

Construction begins on project that will unite Muslims, Jews and Christians under one roof Muslims, Jews and Christians are to be united for worship under one roof in Berlin in a groundbreaking project called ‘House of One’. The cornerstone of the multi-denominational temple was laid in the German capital on Thursday with supporters saying they […]

Will US airstrikes be a gamechanger for Biden’s Mideast policy? – analysis

If the US rate of response is only two retaliatory rounds of strikes to dozens of attacks since January, the US is not deterring the pro-Iran groups. SETH J. FRANTZMAN JUNE 28, 2021 11:59 For the second time this year, the Biden administration has responded to threats to US forces in Iraq by carrying out […]