JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
US,ISRAEL SAID TO DISCUSS NEW STRIKES ON IRANIAN LEECHES OF SATAN
NUKE SITES AGAIN IF NO DIPLOMACY SOON.
ISAIAH 6:9-12
9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
10
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut
their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and
understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
11 Then
said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted
without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly
desolate,
12 And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
WORLD TERRORISM
GENESIS 6:11-13
11
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with
violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13
And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the
earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and,
behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11
And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with
child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF
THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And
he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS)
man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be
against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against
him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL
ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his
brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the
morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground,
which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine
heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars
of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the
sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above
the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF
THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2
They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that
whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM
MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
ISAIAH 41:11
11
Behold, all they that were incensed against thee (ISRAEL) shall be
ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing;(DESTROYED) and they
that strive with thee shall perish.(ISRAEL HATERS WILL BE TOTALLY
DESTROYED)
Turban complications-The turban represents the Shi'ite
clergy that, ever since its creation in Iran almost four centuries ago,
has had an ambivalent attitude towards the exercise of political power.
Broadly speaking, turbans come in two contrasting colors. A white
turban means that the man who wears it is not a descendant of the
Prophet, and thus is of non-Arab origin. In contrast, the wearer of the
black turban is marked as a descendant of the Prophet through one of the
twelve imams of Twelver Shi'ism.The semiology of turbans is still more
complicated. Students of theology are allowed to wear very thin turbans,
denoting their position as novices. A hujjat al-Islam, or mid-ranking
mullah, can wear a slightly fatter turban. The very fat turbans that
require several yards of cloth are reserved for the grand ayatollahs.
Rafsanjani’s white turban marked him as someone of non-Arab origin.
Khatami and Khamenei both wear black turbans, as did Khomeini, denoting
their Arab descent on the paternal side.The experience of the past three
decades shows that many of the most senior clerics are not eager to
enter the realm of politics. Once in power, however, a man with a thin
turban could quickly thicken his headgear and grow a longer beard to
bolster the religious aspect of his image. When first elected president,
Ayatollah Khamenei was not a particularly senior cleric, but was
promoted so that he could succeed Ayatollah Khomeini.
THE CITIZENS OF IRAN (ELAM IN THE BIBLE) MIGRATE TO ALL NATIONS ON EARTH.
JEREMIAH 49:34-39
34
The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam
(IRAN) in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
35
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of
Elam,(IRAN) the chief of their might.(IRAN SUPLIES ARABS WITH WEAPONS
AGAINST ISRAEL)
36 And upon Elam (IRAN) will I bring the four winds
from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those
winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam (IRAN)
shall not come.(WORLD MIGRATION)
37 For I will cause Elam (IRAN) to
be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life:
and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger,(REG BOMBS) saith
the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed
them:(GROUND TROOPS)
38 And I will set my throne in Elam,(IRAN) and
will destroy from thence the king (KHEMEINI )and the princes,(IRANIAN
GUARDS) saith the LORD.
39 But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam,(IRAN) saith the LORD.
Psalms-Chapter 110:1-6
1 (A Psalm of David.) The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
3
Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of
holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
US
transit secretary grilled for rehanging Jesus painting at Merchant
Marine Academy-Entitled ‘Christ on the Water,’ painting had been moved
to the academy’s chapel following a complaint from Jewish midshipmen By
Ron Kampeas Today, 1:22 am-JUL 18,25
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Jesus is
rising, again, at the US Merchant Marine Academy.US President Donald
Trump’s transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, is returning a massive
painting of Jesus to its former place of prominence at the academy. The
artwork was removed two years ago following a request from Jewish
midshipmen and others.The restoration drew attention on Wednesday in
Congress, where Rep. Jared Huffman, a California Democrat, grilled Duffy
over why he authorized the return of the 10-foot-by-19-foot painting,
“Christ on the Water,” also known as “Jesus and Lifeboat,” to a large
administrative room at the academy on Long Island, New York.The room is
used for multiple purposes, including mandatory disciplinary hearings.
The academy is under the purview of the Department of
Transportation.“What kind of message do you think that sends the cadets
who may not be Christian, may not be religious, or might be part of a
Christian sect that objects to the kind of portrait that you’ve placed
in that position of prominence?” Huffman asked Duffy at a hearing of
Congress’ Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.Duffy said he
rescued the painting, which depicts Jesus hovering over a lifeboat full
of stranded sailors, from the basement of the building, which he claimed
was prone to flooding. The painting was undergoing restoration pending
its return, Duffy said.Huffman noted that the basement room where the
painting had been moved was the chapel, part of the resolution to a 2023
complaint filed by 18 academy midshipmen, including five Jews. There
are approximately 950 cadets at the academy.Duffy said the painting
should not offend Jews or other non-Christians.“We all accept everyone’s
religion,” he said. He noted that the painting had, prior to the 2023
complaint and the subsequent compromise, hung in the large
administrative room, named for Elliot M. See, for decades.When the
painting was first installed in 1947, the See room served as the
academy’s chapel. The painting remained in the room after the campus
chapel moved elsewhere in 1961.The midshipmen who filed the complaint in
2023 said that the prominence of Jesus in the room used for
disciplinary hearings exacerbated what was already a fraught experience
of defending oneself against allegations of breaching the honor
code.Duffy, a devout Roman Catholic and formerly a star of multiple
reality TV series, addressed the academy in April, and elicited cheers
when he asked, “Could we bring Jesus up from the basement?” He announced
the painting’s planned return in May, amid a series of moves within the
Trump administration to elevate Christianity in Washington.“We are
moving Jesus out of the basement,” he said in a release then.The
Military Religious Freedom Foundation, the advocacy group that brokered
the 2023 compromise, said it would sue to once again remove the painting
from the See room.“MRFF is already hard at work in an effort to file a
federal lawsuit, forcing the removal of that painting once again to a
location at the Academy, which is constitutionally permissible as to
time, place and manner,” the foundation’s president, Mikey Weinstein,
told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Addressing Duffy, Weinstein said,
“We look SO forward to seeing you in court.”Weinstein obtained the
proposed text for a plaque to be placed beneath the painting once it is
restored. The text, which Weinstein shared with JTA, appears to nod in
its final sentence to non-Christian sensibilities.“This painting has
taken on historical significance and become a part of the Academy’s
community, imparting varying meanings for different members of the
Academy’s community,” it says.Weinstein mocked the vagueness of the
plaque’s phrasing. “We especially look forward to taking your
deposition,” he said, addressing Duffy, “and directly examining you on
the witness stand during the trial where you can expand and extrapolate
on the ‘varying meanings’ of a gigantic painting, showing Jesus Christ
to the exclusion of any other God or non-God deity figure in support of
sailors in distress at sea.”
Netanyahu vows no Syrian forces
south of Damascus, as Bedouins, Druze fight despite truce-Bedouin
commander says ceasefire only applies to Damascus government, declares
offensive with aim to free Bedouins held by Druze, after regime’s
retreat during IDF strikes By Lazar Berman,Nurit Yohanan,Emanuel
Fabian,Charlie Summers and Agencies 17 July 2025, 11:13 pm
Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel will continue to
use military means to enforce its two red lines in Syria — the
demilitarization of the area south of Damascus, near Israel’s border,
and the protection of the country’s Druze minority there.Netanyahu said
the Damascus regime, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, violated both
those red lines in recent days.“It sent an army south of Damascus, into
the area that should be demilitarized, and it began to massacre the
Druze. We could not accept this in any way,” he said in a video
statement.The premier added that the ceasefire Sharaa announced in
southern Syria’s Druze-majority Sweida province, which included the
withdrawal of regime troops, “was achieved through force. Not through
requests, not through pleas — through force.”“We acted, and we will
continue to act as necessary,” Netanyahu promised.Israel attacked
military facilities and operatives of the Syrian regime on Wednesday,
demanding that regime troops withdraw from Sweida, to which they had
deployed during sectarian fighting between Druze and Bedouins, which are
reported to have initially broken out after a Druze vegetable vendor
was assaulted by Bedouin gunmen on Sunday.Israel’s own Druze community
had demanded that Jerusalem act to protect their brethren across the
border, as videos emerged from Sweida showing regime forces shaving
Druze clerics’ mustaches, as well as stepping on Druze flags and
pictures of religious clerics. Other videos showed Druze fighters
beating captured government forces and posing by their bodies.After the
Israeli strikes on Wednesday, the Syrian army withdrew, saying it had
reached a ceasefire with local Druze forces, and Sharaa vowed to protect
the minority group — though some Druze factions said they rejected the
arrangement.But even in the wake of the truce, there were reports of
renewed fighting, with both sides blaming the other.A Bedouin military
commander in Syria told Reuters that Bedouin fighters had launched a new
offensive in Sweida against local Druze fighters, despite the
ceasefire.The commander said the truce in Sweida only applied to
government forces, and that the Bedouin fighters are seeking to free
Bedouins detained by Druze armed groups in recent days.However, Syrian
state media claimed that Druze groups in Sweida were carrying out
massacres against local Bedouins.The Syrian state news agency published
footage of displaced Bedouins fleeing the area and reporting that Druze
had massacred civilians in the Al-Maqwas neighborhood.In a statement,
the Syrian presidency accuses “outlaw forces” — the term the government
uses to refer to Druze factions in Sweida — of violating the agreement
by engaging in “horrific violence” against civilians including “crimes
that completely contravene the obligations of mediation, directly
threaten civil peace, and push towards chaos and security collapse.”The
presidency also warned against “continued blatant Israeli interference
in Syria’s internal affairs, which only leads to further chaos and
destruction and further complicates the regional situation.”Late
Thursday, Syrian state media reported Israeli strikes near Sweida, the
first to target the area after Syrian government forces withdrew.US,
France call for calm; Turkey’s Erdogan rails against Israel-The White
House said Thursday that de-escalation of the conflict in Syria seems to
be continuing. Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters the US is
“very actively monitoring the situation.”A State Department official,
who requested anonymity, told Reuters that there is no change in US
policy toward Syria, but that “all parties must step back and engage in
meaningful dialogue that leads to a lasting ceasefire.”“The government
must investigate all reports of abuse and hold the perpetrators
accountable,” the official added.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said
late Wednesday that the US had engaged all parties and steps had been
agreed to end “this troubling and horrifying situation.”The French
foreign ministry said Thursday it called for the ceasefire in Sweida to
be respected, for a probe into actions against minorities, and for
Israel to stop unilateral action.French foreign minister Jean-Noel
Barrot has held talks in recent days with his Syrian and Israeli
counterparts over the issue, the ministry said in a statement.Meanwhile,
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office said that “Israel,
using the Druze as an excuse, has been expanding its banditry into
neighboring Syria over the past two days.”“I want to state this once
again, clearly and directly: Israel is a lawless, unruly, unprincipled,
spoiled, pampered, and greedy terrorist state,” Erdogan said in a
televised speech after his weekly cabinet meeting.“At this stage, the
biggest problem in our region is Israel’s aggression… If the monster is
not stopped immediately, it will not hesitate to throw first our region,
then the world, into flames,” he added.Turkey backed the Islamist Hayat
Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group led by Syria’s new president — who
previously went by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani — even
before the group toppled longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in
December, taking over the state.IDF: We were unprepared as Israeli Druze
ran across border-In a press conference Thursday evening, Israel
Defense Forces Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defri acknowledged that the
IDF had been unprepared to handle the chaos on the Syrian border in
recent days, during the Sweida conflict.Around 1,000 Druze crossed from
Israel into Syria, and dozens of Syrian Druze entered Israel, at the
time of the fighting — leading several Druze Israeli lawmakers to
themselves enter Syria to call on Israeli Druze to return to
Israel.Defrei said the IDF “were not prepared for thousands of Israeli
citizens who reached the border and tried to pass it,” adding: “We are
learning lessons.”Police said they arrested two Druze Israelis at the
Syrian border on Thursday morning, as they tried to reenter Israeli
territory with a Kalashnikov rifle.The two young men — ages 18 and 20,
from the villages of Kisra and Beit Jann — crossed into Syria on
Wednesday, seeking to rescue their coreligionists from the Bedouin and
Syrian regime forces.Police said that they patched up breaches on the
Israel-Syria border and are currently working with local Druze leaders
to facilitate the return of Israelis who crossed into Syria, and vice
versa.“Northern District officers, together with Border Police forces
and other units, have been operating since yesterday in coordination
with the IDF in response to recent events in the Golan Heights,” said a
police spokesman.Police detained the two young men for questioning,
seizing the rifle and magazine, and will request an extension on their
remand in court, the spokesman continued.Syrian President Ahmed
al-Sharaa’s interim government has had troubled relations with ethnic
and religious minority groups since it came to power in December.March
saw massacres of more than 1,700 mostly Alawite civilians in their hub
on the Mediterranean coast, with government-affiliated groups blamed for
most of the killings.Government forces also battled Druze fighters in
Sweida province and near Damascus in April and May, leaving more than
100 people dead.Israel, which is home to around 150,000 Druze, many of
whom serve in the IDF, has repeatedly stated its intention to defend
Syria’s Druze community.The IDF, which has taken control of the
UN-monitored demilitarized zone on the Golan Heights and conducted
hundreds of strikes on military targets in Syria, also says it will not
allow any Syrian military presence in the south.Despite having initiated
contact with a first face-to-face meeting in Azerbaijan earlier this
month, Israel remains extremely wary of Syria’s new rulers, including
Sharaa, whose Hayat Tahrir al-Sham movement was once linked to
al-Qaeda.Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
In EU
first, Slovenia to ban Ben Gvir and Smotrich over ‘genocidal
statements’The Slovenian government has called Gaza war ‘genocide’ and
says far-right Israeli ministers incite ‘extreme violence and serious
violations of the human rights of Palestinians’By Agencies and ToI Staff
17 July 2025, 11:51 pm
Slovenia announced on Thursday that it
will ban two far-right Israeli ministers from entering the country, in
what authorities said was a first in the European Union.National
Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich
will be declared “persona non grata,” the Slovenian government said in a
statement, accusing them of inciting “extreme violence and serious
violations of the human rights of Palestinians” with “their genocidal
statements.”In June, Australia, Canada, Britain, New Zealand, and Norway
imposed similar sanctions on Smotrich and Ben Gvir, key coalition
partners in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.“This is the
first measure of this nature in the EU,” Slovenia’s Foreign Minister
Tanja Fajon said of the ban.Ben Gvir, who chairs the Otzma Yehudit
party, and Smotrich, who chairs Religious Zionism, have drawn
international criticism for their hard-line stances on the Gaza war, as
well as their comments on, and policies in, the West Bank.Both men have
suggested that Israel should block all humanitarian aid into Gaza as
long as the Hamas terror group still holds Israeli hostages — though
Smotrich has endorsed some aid entry as a concession to international
politics — and both have endorsed a return of Israeli settlement in the
Strip at the conclusion of the ongoing war.In the West Bank — over which
they have some power — Ben Gvir, who oversees the police, has declined
to arrest violent settlers despite frequent attacks on Palestinians, and
Smotrich has worked to expand settlements and advocate for Israeli
annexation of parts of the territory.On May 21, Slovene President Natasa
Pirc Musar, in an address to the European parliament, urged the EU to
take stronger action against what she called “the genocide” in Gaza, as
Israel fights the Hamas terror group there.In May, Slovenia was among
six European countries to say that they “firmly reject any demographic
or territorial change in Gaza,” after Israel announced plans to expand
its military offensive against the Hamas terror group there.Israel’s
campaign in Gaza came after some 5,000 Hamas-led terrorists invaded
Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251
hostages.Israel’s subsequent offensive — which has killed more than
58,000 people, according to Hamas-controlled authorities, who do not
distinguish between civilians and combatants — has drawn accusations of
war crimes and genocide.Israel has strenuously rejected all such
accusations, insisting that its military fights in accordance with
international law, and has pointed to measures it takes to prevent
civilian casualties, and to allow international aid into the
enclave.Last year, Slovenia announced it was recognizing a Palestinian
state, following in the footsteps of Ireland, Norway and Spain. Nearly
150 countries in total recognize a Palestinian state.Israel has rejected
recognition of Palestinian statehood, however, and has said that
recognition serves as a reward for the October 7 attack.
Hurt by
Houthi blockade, debt-ridden Eilat port seeks aid to help it stay
afloat-Unless plea to Economy Ministry is heeded, southern port could
shut down as soon as Sunday; activity has dived over 90% amid
Iran-backed Yemeni rebels terrorizing Red Sea shipping By Sharon Wrobel
17 July 2025, 10:36 pm
The southern port of Eilat is calling on
the government to help avert imminent closure, with the debt-ridden
seaport on the verge of financial collapse due to the disruption of
maritime trade routes caused by continued attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed
Houthis on ships in the Red Sea.The Eilat port, Israel’s southern
gateway, has been struggling to keep afloat as it lost more than 90
percent of its activities since the Houthis began attacking maritime
traffic a month after the outbreak of war with the Hamas terror group in
October 2023.Faced with huge monthly expenses — municipal taxes and
salary costs — and debt piling up over the past 20 months, while its
main revenue stream has been cut, the port is facing closure as early as
Sunday, putting 170 jobs at risk.“The Eilat port has strategic national
importance to Israel as the country’s southern gateway on the Red Sea
for maritime trade with the Far East, India, and Australia, and
constitutes a significant economic anchor for the city and its
residents,” Eilat port CEO Gideon Golber told The Times of Israel. “The
closure of a strategic seaport in Israel would be a huge international
success for the Houthis that none of our enemies have ever
achieved.”Conversely, “the unloading of ships from the Far East at the
port of Eilat would constitute an image of victory over the Houthis,”
Golber said.Golber emphasized that over the past 20 months, the port’s
management continued to pay its employees’ salaries, despite the lack of
revenue. Port workers earn between NIS 14,000 ($4,165) and NIS 70,000
monthly.While the bulk of Israel’s maritime trade passes through the
ports of Haifa and Ashdod on the Mediterranean, Eilat is a major entry
point for some imports from East Asia, including vehicles from China.
About 50% of vehicle imports enter via the Eilat port. The port is also a
gateway to the Far East for phosphate and potash exports, mainly by
Israeli Chemicals Limited (ICL).For almost two years, ships calling at
the Eilat port have been facing the broader threat of being targeted by
the Houthi terror group in open waters in the Red Sea. The Houthis have
also fired ballistic missiles and drones at the city of Eilat since the
beginning of the Hamas war, many of which were intercepted or missed
their targets. As a result, vessels have been unloading at the ports in
Ashdod and Haifa.Ships bound for Israel and linking to Europe from the
Far East have been diverting to a longer route around the southern tip
of Africa and the Cape of Good Hope, increasing the shipping time of
goods by two to four weeks and raising the costs per vessel.“From the
moment the Houthis seized the NYK cargo vessel [back in November 2023]
and blocked the shipping route around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a
chokepoint at the foot of the commercially vital Red Sea, the activity
of the Eilat port was brought to an near-halt,” said Golber. “All
actions taken by the US and Israel to resolve the situation have so far
failed.”Golber said that as part of a national effort, the port is
currently operating to provide services to the Israeli Navy, but due to
large debts, including to the Eilat municipality, it was decided that it
will have to shut down next week.“This is after even the minimal aid of
NIS 15 million ($4.5 million) that the government promised the port has
not yet been received,” he lamented.The port’s management turned to
Economy Minister Nir Barkat on Thursday with a plea to consider a
national proposal for a solution that will allow the port to continue
functioning, consisting of agreements between car importers from the Far
East, the Eilat management, and the government.The port management
wants Barkat to issue a temporary import order that will require car
importers from the Far East to import vehicles through the Eilat
seaport, as was the case until 2016.In addition, according to the
proposed plan, ships arriving from the Far East will pass through the
Suez Canal, instead of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, to bypass the Houthi
blockade. The cost of a ship’s passage through the Suez Canal is about
$800,000 and would be shared between importers, the Eilat port, and the
government.“The plan is for about 3-4 ships per month, and the cost of
maintaining the functional continuity of the strategic port in the
south, and lifting the naval blockade on Israel, will cost the state
only about $1.5 million per month,” the port administration said. “This
will allow keeping all of the port’s workers and continuing giving
service to the Israeli Navy.”Houthi terrorists in Yemen have been
targeting ships in declared solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza,
where Israel has been waging a war against Hamas since the terrorist
organization’s unprecedented October 7, 2023, attack, in which some
1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
Focus
on replenishing, strengthening air and missile defense-Israel adds
billions to defense spending amid ongoing wars, growing
challenges-Finance minister says $12.5 billion supplement to 2025-2026
budget ‘fully covers’ Gaza fighting, plans for other fronts; Katz:
Israel must have ‘complete superiority’ over enemies By Reuters 17 July
2025, 5:51 pm
Israel will raise defense spending by NIS 42
billion ($12.5 billion) in 2025 and 2026, the finance and defense
ministries said on Thursday, citing the ongoing wars and security
challenges.The budget agreement will allow the Defense Ministry to
“advance urgent and essential procurement deals critical to national
security,” the ministries said in a statement.Finance Minister Bezalel
Smotrich said the new defense budget “fully covers the intense fighting
in Gaza, alongside comprehensive security preparations for all threats —
from the south, the north, and more distant arenas.”Military costs have
surged since the Hamas terror group’s October 7, 2023, attack that
killed some 1,200 people and took another 251 hostage and sparked the
war in Gaza; other Iran-backed groups, includin Hezbollah in Lebanon and
the Houthis in Yemen, soon joined the fighting against Israel, and the
fall of the Assad regime in Syria sparked Israeli involvement there as
well.Over the past 21 months, Israel’s missile defense systems have been
working almost daily to intercept missiles fired by Hamas, Hezbollah,
the Houthis, and — during the recent 12-day open war, as well as on two
previous occasions — Iran.Current annual defense spending is NIS 110
billion ($32.7 billion), about 9% of gross domestic product — out of a
total 2025 budget of NIS 756 billion ($224.8 billion).The extra
budgetary funding “will allow the Defense Ministry to immediately sign
procurement deals for the weapons and ammunition required to replenish
depleted stocks and support the IDF’s ongoing operations,” said Amir
Baram, director general of the Defense Ministry.It would also enable the
defense establishment to initiate development programs to strengthen
the IDF’s qualitative edge for future systems, he said.‘Complete
military, technological, and operational superiority’Defense Minister
Israel Katz said the funds would allow Israel to prepare for multiple
scenarios since “enemies are openly declaring their intent to destroy
us… For this we require complete military, technological and operational
superiority.”Separately, the Defense Ministry said it had signed a deal
with state-run Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to accelerate serial
production of Arrow interceptors.Israel’s Arrow 2 and 3 long-range
missile defense systems, developed and manufactured in cooperation with
the US, were used extensively during the war with Iran last month, as
well as amid repeated Houthi attacks from Yemen. There has been
speculation that Israel’s supplies of the interceptors had been
significantly depleted by the attacks.This image released by the Defense
Ministry on July 17, 2025, shows an Arrow air defense system launching a
missile during the Israel-Iran war in June. (Defense Ministry)In a
statement, Baram said, “Accelerating the production rate of the Arrow
and other critical systems is a central component of the ministry’s
strategy to expand production capabilities and improve operational
readiness for the continuation of the war and future campaigns.”On
Wednesday, the ministry also signed a $20 million deal with Israel
Weapon Industries (IWI) to supply advanced machine guns aimed at
significantly enhancing the IDF ground forces’ firepower
capabilities.Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.Bodies left in
Sweida's streets as Syrian army pulls out-IDF says dozens of Druze from
Israel still remain in Syria after rushing border-Army says there were
no further crossings overnight, is working to patch up holes in fence;
Kurdish official urges Sharaa to rethink approach to minorities By
Emanuel Fabian,Nurit Yohanan-and AFP 17 July 2025, 4:54 pmThe Israel
Defense Forces said Thursday that it managed to return dozens of Druze
who had crossed from Israel into Syria the previous day, aiming to reach
their embattled brethren, adding that several dozen remained inside
Syria, mostly in the Hader area, a Druze town just over the border.The
IDF and Israel Police also sent several Syrian Druze, who had crossed
into Israel at the same time, back to Syria, the army said. It was
unclear how many Syrian Druze still remained in Israel.The mass breaches
of the frontier came amid deadly clashes in the city of Sweida in
southern Syria between the majority-Druze population and Bedouin tribes,
leading some 1,000 Druze who live in Israel to rush the border.Syrian
government forces deployed to the Sweida area amid the clashes with the
stated aim of overseeing a truce, but witnesses said they intervened
against the Druze. In response, the IDF struck them and other military
targets in Damascus, saying it was protecting the Druze.Syrian troops
pulled out of the Druze heartland province of Sweida on Thursday on
orders from the Islamist-led government, leaving bodies strewn on the
street, AFP journalists reported from the provincial capital.There were
no crossings of the border or protests overnight, the Israeli army said
Thursday, adding that work is scheduled to fix the breaches in the fence
and, with police, set up blockades in the area to prevent any further
crossings.Meanwhile, a Syrian journalist affiliated with the country’s
new regime published footage showing armed Druze fighters and residents
in southern Syria cheering as an Israel Defense Forces convoy rolled
through a nearby town.In the footage, people wave Druze flags and hoot
for the line of IDF vehicles, one of which is flying an Israeli flag.One
of the individuals is heard calling on the Israeli forces to go after
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, apparently suggesting he be
eliminated.It was unclear exactly where and when the video was filmed.In
a televised speech Thursday, Sharaa said community leaders would resume
control over security in Sweida after the deployment of government
troops on Tuesday fueled the sectarian bloodshed and prompted the
Israeli intervention.Government troops told AFP that the order to
withdraw came shortly before midnight and they completed their pullout
from the province at dawn.An AFP photographer counted 15 bodies on the
street in the center of Sweida on Thursday after government forces
pulled out.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said more than
500 people have been killed in sectarian clashes in the city since
Sunday.Israel had pounded government troops with airstrikes during their
brief deployment to the southern province and also struck army
headquarters and near the Presidential Palace in Damascus, warning that
its strikes would intensify until the Islamist-led government pulled
back.Sharaa, whose interim government has had troubled relations with
ethnic and religious minority groups since it toppled veteran leader
Bashar al-Assad in December, also pledged to protect the Druze.A Kurdish
official on Thursday urged the new government to rethink its approach
to the country’s minorities following the deadly clashes.“The
transitional government must undertake a comprehensive and urgent review
of its approach to dealing with Syria’s internal affairs, and begin a
serious and responsible national dialogue with all components, while
respecting the privacy and cultural and religious identity of each,”
Bedran Ciya Kurd, a senior official in the Kurdish-led administration in
northeast Syria, said on X.March saw massacres of more than 1,700
mostly Alawite civilians in their hub on the Mediterranean coast, with
government-affiliated groups blamed for most of the killings.Government
forces also battled Druze fighters in Sweida province and near Damascus
in April and May, leaving more than 100 people dead.Israel has said it
will not allow the Druze to be harmed. Israel, which is home to around
150,000 Druze, many of whom serve in the IDF, has repeatedly stated its
intention to defend Syria’s Druze community.The military, which has
taken control of the UN-monitored demilitarized zone on the Golan
Heights and conducted hundreds of strikes on military targets in Syria,
also says it will not allow any Syrian military presence in the
south.Despite having initiated contact with a first face-to-face meeting
in Azerbaijan earlier this month, Israel remains extremely wary of
Syria’s new rulers, including Sharaa, whose Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
movement was once linked to al-Qaeda.
Prominent Israeli rabbis
back intervention in Syria on behalf of Druze-Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi
Kalman Ber and Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu issue statements
stressing the bond between Israel and the Druze, describe assisting them
as a moral duty By Rossella Tercatin-and Agencies 17 July 2025, 4:53 pm
Two
prominent Israeli rabbis have spoken up to back the country’s decision
to intervene militarily to protect the Druze community in southern Syria
after days of violent clashes that left dozens of civilians
dead.Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Kalman Ber on Thursday issued an open call to
Israel and the world to help the Druze in Syria, citing the biblical
commandment “Do not stand by the blood of your neighbor” (Leviticus
19:16).In a rare move, Ber also appeared to draw a comparison between
the violence perpetrated against the Druze in southern Syria and
persecution against Jews in the past.“We are witnessing a brutal
campaign of murder against the Druze people, an assault on the image [of
God] in humanity,” he wrote. “These are acts that we and all religious
leaders around the world must not ignore or remain silent in the face
of. We have seen savage beasts descend in a fury upon innocent
civilians, without distinguishing between man and woman, elder and
child. We are reminded of the dark days of history, when bloodthirsty
nations committed similar atrocities — and the world was silent!!!”The
statement marks a departure for the rabbinical leader; chief rabbis
rarely comment on defense issues or matters involving other faiths.More
than 350 people had been killed in clashes this week between Druze and
Bedouin fighters in Syria, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights said early Thursday. Hours earlier, Syria announced it had begun
withdrawing its army from Druze-majority Sweida city after agreeing to a
new ceasefire that it said would bring a complete halt to its military
operations there. The arrangement has been rejected by some Druze
leaders.Witnesses in Sweida said government forces dispatched there with
the stated objective of ending the violence joined with Bedouins to
attack Druze fighters and civilians.SOHR reported that since clashes
erupted on Sunday, 79 Druze fighters were killed along with 55
civilians, 27 of them in “summary executions by members of the defense
and interior ministries,” while 189 defense and interior ministry
personnel and 18 Bedouin fighters were also killed.Israel carried out
several strikes on Wednesday in Damascus and on Syrian regime forces
deployed to the areas of southern Syria where the fighting had been
taking place.“The divine commandment ‘Do not stand idly by the blood of
your neighbor’ obligates us to raise a cry and stir the conscience of
the entire world,” Ber wrote, describing the violence against the Druze
as “ethnic cleansing.”“We must also remember that some members of this
community — and their relatives — live among us and are bound to us in a
covenant of blood, forged in shared sacrifice for the existence of the
State of Israel,” he added.Around 150,000 Druze live in Israel, most of
whom hold Israeli citizenship and serve in the IDF. However, of the some
23,000 living in the Golan Heights, most do not hold Israeli
citizenship and still see themselves as Syrian nationals. They maintain
close links with communities in Syria, where some 700,000 Druze
live.Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, a hardline religious Zionist
leader, who is known for incendiary statements against Arabs, also
called on Israel to assist the Druze, describing it as a “moral
obligation.”“The Torah teaches us that every human being is beloved,
having been created in the image of God (tzelem Elokim),” Eliyahu wrote
in a statement shared on the Facebook page of his office. “Showing
contempt for others and degrading them stands in direct opposition to
the values of the Torah. Disregard for human life violates the most
fundamental principles that God has given to us — and to the entire
world.”“The members of the Druze community have defended Israel with
great courage since the founding of the state,” he added. “The Torah
tells of the special bond that existed between the people of Israel and
Jethro, the father of their nation, over 3,000 years ago.”Jethro, Moses’
father-in-law, is revered by the Druze as the most important prophet of
their highly secretive faith.“We express our support for the government
of Israel, which has warned the Syrian regime not to allow its forces
to abuse the Druze,” Eliyahu further wrote. “We also support the IDF in
striking Syrian forces that have attacked Druze civilians. It is our
moral obligation to defend the Druze community, which has entered with
us into a covenant of blood.”Eliyahu is a member of the Chief Rabbinate
Council, which serves as the leading authority on Jewish law for the
government and providers of religious services in the country. He is the
father of Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu from the far-right Otzma
Yehudit party.Eliyahu is known for controversial statements and rulings
on Jewish law, including one that forbade the rental or sale of
Jewish-owned property in Safed to Arabs. A year ago, he also backed his
son’s statement about the possibility of dropping a nuclear bomb on
Gaza.
US, Israel said to discuss new strikes if no diplomacy
soon-Report: Of 3 nuke sites hit by US, only Fordo was badly set back;
Trump rejected wider op-US intel assessment cited by NBC News indicates
less extensive damage at Natanz and Isfahan; Trump said to have eschewed
weeks-long campaign targeting 6 sites-By ToI Staff 17 July 2025, 2:39
pm
US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites only caused
significant damage to one of them, a new intelligence assessment has
reportedly found, and discussions are said to have taken place between
Israeli and American officials on the possibility of renewing strikes on
the two other locations if Tehran doesn’t agree to talks soon.The US
strikes last month set back uranium enrichment activity at the
underground Fordo nuclear site by some two years, NBC news reported on
Thursday, citing five current and former US officials with knowledge of
the intel findings, which have been shared with lawmakers and officials
in allied countries in recent days.The US outlet’s reporting indicates,
but does not state explicitly, that the damage at Isfahan and Natanz,
the two other sites, was less extensive, with some parts of them beyond
America’s massive bunker-buster bombs. The report said US officials
think Iran could have the facilities back up and running in months.Two
of the current officials told NBC that assessments are ongoing and may
change over time, noting that more damage has been identified in the
current analysis than in previous ones.According to the report, US
President Donald Trump had been presented at the time with an option of a
much more comprehensive air campaign, which would have continued for
weeks and involved hitting six nuclear sites repeatedly, but opted for
the more limited strike due to concerns about US involvement in Middle
Eastern conflicts.“We were willing to go all the way in our options, but
the president did not want to,” one of the sources was quoted as
saying.The report cited a current and a former official saying the US
and Israel have discussed going back in to conduct fresh attacks on
Natanz and Isfahan if Tehran continues to avoid negotiations over its
nuclear program or there are signs it is trying to rebuild the
sites.Responding to the report, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly
reiterated Trump’s claim that the attacked sites were “totally
obliterated” and that “America and the world are safer, thanks to his
decisive action.”“The credibility of the Fake News Media is similar to
that of the current state of the Iranian nuclear facilities: destroyed,
in the dirt, and will take years to recover,” chief Pentagon spokesman
Sean Parnell told NBC. “President Trump was clear and the American
people understand: Iran’s nuclear facilities in Fordo, Isfahan, and
Natanz were completely and totally obliterated. There is no doubt about
that.”The Pentagon said earlier this month that its intelligence
suggested the strikes set back the nuclear program as a whole by up to
two years.The head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, raised
doubts over the effectiveness of the strikes last month, saying that
Iran could be producing enriched uranium in a few months.Several experts
have also cautioned that Iran likely moved a stockpile of near
weapons-grade highly enriched uranium out of the deeply buried Fordo
site before the strikes and could be hiding it. However, US Defense
Secretary Pete Hegseth said he was unaware of intelligence suggesting
Iran had moved it.Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign
targeting Iranian nuclear sites, scientists and top military brass on
June 13 in a bid to end the country’s nuclear program, which Tehran says
is for civilian purposes but Washington and other powers insist is
aimed at acquiring atomic weapons.Trump had spent weeks pursuing a
diplomatic path to replace the nuclear deal with Tehran that he tore up
during his first term in 2018, but he ultimately decided to take
military action. The US operation was massive, involving more than 125
US aircraft, including stealth bombers, fighters, and aerial refueling
tankers as well as a guided missile submarine.The US and Israel said the
strikes were intended to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons
and to radically degrade its ballistic missile capabilities.Iran, which
openly seeks to destroy Israel, claims its nuclear program is solely
geared toward civilian use, but it has enriched uranium to 60 percent
purity, above levels needed for civilian usage and a short step from the
level needed for weapons production, obstructed international
inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its
ballistic missile capabilities.Israel says it holds intelligence
information indicating that Tehran was taking active steps to build a
bomb. It has also warned that it could take further military steps if it
sees Iran attempting to rebuild its nuclear and missile programs.
N. Korea says Japan seeking to be a 'military giant'
Seoul,
July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2025-A new Japanese defence policy white paper
showed the country was seeking to be a major military power, North
Korean state media reported a foreign ministry official as saying
Friday, who justified Pyongyang's nuclear program on that basis.The
policy section chief of the Institute for Japan Studies under the
foreign ministry described the Japanese defence white paper, approved
this week, as "a war scenario for realizing its ambition for reinvasion
from A to Z," the Korean Central News Agency said.The white paper was
approved by the cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday.It
argued, among other things, that China's intensifying military
activities could seriously impact Japanese security, citing the first
confirmed incursion by a Chinese military aircraft into its airspace.It
also said North Korea's activities pose a "more grave and imminent
threat to Japan's national security than ever before".Japan is in a
multi-year process of increasing its defence spending, as many countries
are doing under pressure from the United States, as Donald Trump
governs for a second time with a focus on more-burden sharing on
defence.Japan is bolstering its military ties with Washington -- and
other regional US allies -- to make US and Japanese forces nimbler in
response to threats such as a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan.The
Japan studies department of the North Korean foreign ministry said Japan
was "escalating the regional situation in a gradual way (to) justify
its reckless moves to turn itself into a military giant," KCNA
reported.Japan's military activities show that North Korea's efforts to
build up its nuclear arsenal "serve as an indispensable contribution to
strongly suppressing the provocations of the US and its allies," the
agency reported.
Ukraine 'shouldn't target' Moscow: Trump-by AFP Staff Writers.
Washington
(AFP) July 15, 2025-Donald Trump said Tuesday Ukraine should not target
Moscow and that he had no plans to supply Kyiv with long-range
missiles, following a report the US leader had encouraged President
Volodymyr Zelensky to hit the Russian capital.The Financial Times
reported that Trump had brought up a potential counteroffensive with
Zelensky and even asked his Ukrainian counterpart whether he could hit
Moscow, if Washington provided long-range weapons.Asked by reporters at
the White House if Zelensky should target the Russian capital, Trump
replied: "No, he shouldn't target Moscow."He was also asked if he was
willing to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles and said: "No, we're
not looking to."Citing two people familiar with the call, the Times
reported that Trump spoke to Zelensky on July 4, a day after talks with
Russian President Vladimir Putin.Trump also reportedly discussed sending
Ukraine US-made ATACMS missiles, the Times said.Trump, who had vowed to
end the Ukraine war within a day of returning to the White House, has
said he is "disappointed" in Putin, who has kept attacking Ukraine as if
the leaders' telephone conversations "didn't mean anything."White House
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt played down the Times report, saying
in a statement that the paper was "notorious for taking words wildly out
of context to get clicks.""President Trump was merely asking a
question, not encouraging further killing," she said. "He's working
tirelessly to stop the killing and end this war."
Russia fires hundreds of drones at Ukraine, defying Trump warning by AFP Staff Writers.
Kyiv,
Ukraine (AFP) July 16, 2025-Russia fired hundreds of drones, artillery
and a ballistic missile at Ukraine between late Tuesday and early
Wednesday, Ukraine said, defying calls by Donald Trump to reach a peace
deal.The attacks left one woman dead and wounded more than two dozen
people across multiple regions, while a missile attack cut power and
water in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's home city of Kryvyi
Rig, according to authorities.The bombardment came two days after US
President Trump threatened to impose severe sanctions against the
country unless it reached a peace settlement within 50 days to end its
three-year war on Ukraine.Ukrainian and Russian officials last met for
direct peace talks more than a month ago, and no further meetings have
been scheduled despite the Kremlin saying it is open for more
talks.Russia fired at least 400 drones at Ukraine between late Tuesday
and early Wednesday, as well as an Iskander ballistic missile launched
from the annexed Crimean peninsula, the Ukrainian air force
said.Overnight drone attacks on the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia
left eight wounded, while three were wounded in an attack on the
northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, local authorities said.Russian
attacks on the city of Kryvyi Rig wounded at least 15 people, destroyed
an industrial building and disrupted power and water supplies, according
to local officials.A 17-year-old boy was among those injured, the
city's mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said on Telegram."He was wounded in the
abdominal cavity. He was immediately taken to the hospital, in serious
condition. Now doctors are fighting for his life," he wrote."This has
never happened before. A ballistic missile and 28 Shaheds
simultaneously," he added, referring to Iranian-designed drones.Russia
has stepped up its summer campaign against Ukraine in recent weeks as
Washington-mediated ceasefire talks stall.Its army has pushed ahead on
the battlefield, while pounding Ukraine with combined drone, artillery
and missile strikes.Trump said Monday he had struck a deal with NATO
chief to supply more American air defence systems and weapons to
Ukraine, citing his frustration with Russia's refusal to accept a
ceasefire.
New drone attacks hit three oil fields in northern Iraq: Kurdish forces by AFP Staff Writers.
Arbil,
Iraq (AFP) July 16, 2025-Explosive-laden drones hit three oil fields in
Iraq's northern autonomous Kurdistan region early Wednesday, Kurdish
forces said, a day after a similar attack shut operations at a US-run
field.In the past few weeks, Iraq and particularly the Kurdistan region
have seen a spate of unclaimed drone and rocket attacks.Wednesday's
attacks have raised the number of oil field hit in Kurdistan to five
within a week."At 06:00 and 06:15 (0300 and 0315 GMT) two
explosive-laden drones attacked" the Peshkabir oil field operated by the
Norwegian oil group DNO in Zakho district, Kurdistan's counterterrorism
services said.At 7:00 am (0400 GMT) a similar drone struck the
DNO-operated Tawke field in the same area, Kurdistan's counterterrorism
services said.The attacks caused only material damage.Another attack at
7:14 am (0414 GMT) targeted an oil field operated by the US firm Hunt
Oil in Dohuk province, without causing casualties or material
damage.Long plagued by conflict, Iraq frequently experiences such
attacks, often linked to regional proxy struggles between Iran and the
United States and its ally Israel.The attacks also come at a time of
heightened tension between Baghdad and Arbil over oil exports, with a
major pipeline through Turkey shut since 2023 over legal disputes and
technical issues.Wednesday's attacks came a day after an explosive-laden
drone strike forced the US firm HKN Energy to suspend operations in the
Sarsang oil field in Duhok.On Monday, one drone was shot down near
Arbil airport, while two others hit the Khurmala oil field in the same
province, causing material damage.Iraqi Kurdistan presents itself as a
relative oasis of stability in a volatile Iraq, attracting foreign
investors due to its close ties with the United States and European
countries.
Drone attack shuts US-run oil field in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Arbil,
Iraq (AFP) July 15, 2025 - A drone strike on Tuesday forced a US
company to suspend operations at an oil field in Iraq's Kurdistan, the
latest in a string of attacks targeting the autonomous region's energy
facilities.The Iraqi government said it will investigate the attacks,
which occurred months before legislative elections, at a time of
simmering tension between Baghdad and the regional administration in
Arbil mainly over oil exports.The Arbil government said the Sarsang oil
field in Duhok province was hit, denouncing the strike as "an act of
terrorism against the Kurdistan Region's vital economic
infrastructure".It did not say who may be behind the attack, and there
was no claim of responsibility.Tuesday's attack followed similar drone
strikes a day earlier on an airport hosting US troops and on an oil
field in Arbil province, near Duhok.HKN Energy, the US firm operating
the Sarsang site, said a blast occurred at about 7:00 am (0400 GMT) at
one of its production facilities."Operations at the affected facility
have been suspended until the site is secured," it said in a statement.A
fire broke out but caused no casualties. HKN said emergency teams later
contained the blaze.In the past few weeks, Iraq and particularly the
Kurdistan region have seen a spate of unclaimed drone and rocket
attacks.Long plagued by conflict, Iraq frequently experiences such
attacks, often linked to regional proxy struggles between Iran and the
United States and its ally Israel.Iraqi Kurdistan presents itself as a
relative oasis of stability in a volatile Iraq, attracting foreign
investors due to its close ties with the United States and European
countries.- 'Vital institutions' -On Tuesday, Kurdistan's presidency
condemned the latest attacks, warning that they "pose a risk" to
international investments and calling on Baghdad to find the
perpetrators and prevent further incidents.Iraq's Prime Minister
Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an "immediate and comprehensive
investigation" into the attacks, his military spokesman Sabah al-Numan
said."The nature and timing of these criminal acts indicate malicious
intent aimed at creating confusion and harming Iraq and its vital
institutions," Numan added.Iraq is gearing up for legislative elections
in November, which are often marked by heated political wrangling.The
attacks also come at a time of heightened tension between Baghdad and
Arbil over oil exports, with a major pipeline through Turkey shut since
2023 over legal disputes and technical issues.In May, Iraq's federal
authorities filed a complaint against the autonomous Kurdistan region
for signing gas contracts with two US companies, including HKN
Energy.Iraq slammed the deals, saying all oil and gas development must
be conducted through the federal government.A few hours after Tuesday's
drone attack, Iraq's oil ministry announced an initial agreement with
HKN to develop the Hamrin oil field in Salaheddin province.-
'Unacceptable' -The US embassy in Baghdad denounced the recent drone
strikes, including on "critical infrastructure" in Kurdistan."These
attacks are unacceptable," the embassy said on X, adding that the Iraqi
government "must exercise its authority to prevent armed actors from
launching these attacks against sites... where Iraqi and international
companies have invested in Iraq's future".The Sarsang attack came a day
after other explosive-laden drone attacks were reported elsewhere in
Kurdistan.One drone was shot down near Arbil airport, while two others
hit the Khurmala oil field in the same province, causing material
damage.There has been no claim of responsibility for those
attacks.Politicians close to the Kurdish authorities blamed pro-Iran
groups, without offering evidence.On July 3, the Kurdistan government
said that the Hashed al-Shaabi, a coalition of pro-Iran former
paramilitaries now integrated into the regular armed forces, had downed a
drone near Arbil airport.Baghdad rejected the accusation against "an
official Iraqi security institution".
Europeans tell Iran will reimpose sanctions if no progress on nuclear deal: France.
Paris,
July 18 (AFP) Jul 18, 2025-Top European diplomats told their Iranian
counterpart on Thursday they were determined to reactivate UN sanctions
if Tehran does not make progress on a nuclear deal, France's foreign
ministry said.The diplomats, from Britain, France, Germany and the
European Union, told Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi of "their
determination to use the 'snapback' mechanism -- which allows for the
reimposition of all international sanctions against Iran -- in the
absence of concrete progress" towards a deal on Tehran's nuclear
programme "by the end of the summer", the French foreign ministry
said.They are applying pressure to convince Iran of "the urgency of
returning to the diplomatic path without delay, in order to reach a
robust, verifiable, and durable agreement on Iran's nuclear
programme".There has been much speculation about the status of Tehran's
nuclear programme since Israeli and US strikes on Iranian military and
nuclear facilities in June.A clause in Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement,
which the United States withdrew from, allows for UN sanctions against
Tehran to be reimposed in case of non-compliance through a snapback
mechanism.European diplomats are seeking progress by the end of August
as the agreement is due to expire in October.Iran and the United States
have held several rounds of negotiations through Omani mediators since
April, before Israel launched an attack on Iran on June 13. Washington
also carried out strikes on Iran, effectively ending the nuclear
talks.Since the end of the hostilities, both Iran and the United States
have signalled willingness to return to the table, though Tehran has
said it will not renounce its right to the peaceful use of nuclear
power.An adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on
Monday there would be no new nuclear talks with the United States if
they were conditioned on Tehran abandoning its uranium enrichment
activities.
Taipei holds air raid drill to prepare for Chinese attack.
Taipei,
July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2025-Taipei came to a brief standstill on
Thursday when air raid sirens forced people off the streets and into
underground shelters in a rehearsal for a Chinese attack.The annual
civilian drill is being held in cities across Taiwan this week,
alongside military training, to prepare the self-governed island for a
potential Chinese invasion.Communist China has never ruled Taiwan but
Beijing insists the island is part of its territory and has threatened
to use force to bring it under its control.Sirens sounded across Taipei
at 1:30 pm (0530 GMT), bringing the capital city of 2.5 million people
to a halt for half an hour.Police waving batons stopped motorbikes, cars
and public buses on the streets and people were directed into shelters,
including basements and subway stations.Some people retreated into
office buildings for the duration of the exercise.Tracy Herr, 50, was on
her way to a temple when she heard the air raid siren. She went to a
nearby subway station where others were sheltering.Pointing at a group
of young women sitting on the floor and chatting, Herr said Taiwanese
people had "lived comfortably for too long" and some didn't take the air
raid drill seriously.The drills also involved simulating wartime aid
distribution and a mass-casualty event.Dozens of people lined up at
three distribution points to receive bags of rice, cooking oil and
salt.Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has sought to raise public
awareness of the threat posed by China since taking office last
year."Each drill allows our country to further enhance its ability to
defend itself," Lai said on Thursday.While the exercises were "not
intended to provoke", Lai said the constant threats to Taiwan meant "we
have no choice but to stay fully prepared".- 'Reality of modern warfare'
-Taiwan is keen to show the world, especially its key security backer
Washington, that it is serious about boosting its defence
capability.Taiwanese regular troops were joined by the largest
mobilisation of reservists for the 10-day "Han Kuang" military drills,
which end on Friday.Rather than only repelling a Chinese attack on its
shores, Taiwanese troops this year have also practised fighting invading
forces in city streets."It is as much training as acclimating the
Taiwanese population to the reality of modern warfare," said Kitsch Liao
of the Atlantic Council, a US think tank.Heavily armed troops carrying
US-provided anti-aircraft Stinger missiles stormed Taipei's metro system
in a night-time exercise.High-tech mobile missile launchers from the
United States have also been positioned around the capital and
elsewhere, in full view of the public.Shoppers in a Taipei supermarket
also recently became participants in a drill simulating a Chinese
missile strike on the city."I didn't know there was going to be a
drill," Yang Shu-ting, 70, told AFP."My heart was beating very fast and I
was inevitably nervous. I think the point is to let you know where you
should hide if something happens."Troops have also simulated various
scenarios, including "grey zone harassment" -- tactics that fall short
of an act of war -- and "long-range precision strikes", defence
officials have said.Several minor collisions involving military vehicles
during the exercises highlighted the challenge of manoeuvring through
Taiwan's narrow streets.Defence expert Chieh Chung said such mishaps
were "difficult to avoid" in urban areas."In Taiwan, many roads and
bridges create significant limitations for armoured vehicles when they
move through," said Chieh, a researcher at the Association of Strategic
Foresight in Taipei."So this becomes a problem and obstacle for both
attacking and defending forces."
French army leaves Senegal, ending military presence in west Africa.
Dakar,
July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2025-France on Thursday formally handed back its
last two military bases in Senegal, leaving Paris with no permanent army
camps in either west or central Africa.Ending the French army's 65
years in independent Senegal, the pull-out comes after similar
withdrawals across the continent, with former colonies increasingly
turning their backs on their former ruler.The move comes as the Sahel
region faces a growing jihadist conflict across Mali, Burkina Faso and
Niger that is threatening the wider west African region.A recent string
of attacks this month in Mali included an assault on a town on the
border with Senegal.France returned Camp Geille, its largest base in the
west African country, and its airfield at Dakar airport, in a ceremony
attended by top French and Senegalese officials.They included Senegalese
chief of staff General Mbaye Cisse and General Pascal Ianni, the head
of the French forces in Africa.Cisse said the handover marked "an
important turning point in the rich and long military journey of our two
countries".He said the "new objectives" were aimed at "giving new
content to the security partnership".Senegalese troops were working "to
consolidate the numerous skills gained it its quest for strategic
autonomy", he added.The general ended his speech with a quote from
Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the French author of "The Little Prince", who
spent several months in Dakar: "For each ending there is always a new
departure."Ianni said Paris was "reinventing partnerships in a dynamic
Africa"."We have to do things differently, and we don't need permanent
bases to do so," he said.The French general however insisted that the
pull-out "takes nothing away from the sacrifices made yesterday by our
brothers-in-arms in Africa for our respective interests".Around 350
French soldiers, primarily tasked with conducting joint operations with
the Senegalese army, are now leaving, marking the end of a three-month
departure process that began in March.After storming to victory in 2024
elections promising radical change, Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye
Faye demanded France withdraw troops from the country by 2025.Unlike
the leaders of other former colonies such as junta-run Burkina Faso,
Mali and Niger, however, Faye has insisted that Senegal will keep
working with Paris.- 'Sovereignty' -Senegal was one of France's first
colonies in Africa.After gaining independence in 1960, Senegal became
one of France's staunchest African allies, playing host to French troops
throughout its modern history.Faye's predecessor, Macky Sall, continued
that tradition.However Faye, who ran on a ticket promising a clean
break with the Sall era, has said that Senegal will treat France like
any other foreign partner.Pledging to make his country more
self-sufficient, the president gave a deadline of the end of 2025 for
all foreign armies to withdraw."Senegal is an independent country, it is
a sovereign country, and sovereignty does not accept the presence of
military bases in a sovereign country," Faye said at the end of 2024.He
maintained nonetheless that France remained "an important partner for
Senegal".Faye has also urged Paris to apologise for colonial atrocities,
including the massacre on December 1, 1944, of dozens of African
soldiers who had fought for France in World War II.A lawmaker from the
president's ruling Pastef party, Guy Marius Sagna, hailed Thursday's
"end to the presence of the French occupying army"."Bravo to President
Diomaye Faye!... Bravo to the patriots! Decolonisation continues," he
told the press.- Continent-wide pull-out -With governments across Africa
increasingly questioning the presence of French soldiers, Paris has
closed or reduced numbers at bases across its former empire.In February,
Paris handed back its sole remaining base in Ivory Coast, ending
decades of French presence at the site.The month before, France turned
over the Kossei base in Chad, its last military foothold in the
unrest-hit Sahel region.Coups in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali between
2020 and 2023 have swept military strongmen to power.All have cut ties
with France and turned to Russia instead for help in fighting the
Sahel's decade-long jihadist insurgency.The Central African Republic,
also a former French colony to which the Kremlin has sent mercenaries,
has likewise demanded a French pull-out.Meanwhile the army has turned
its base in Gabon into a camp shared with the central African nation
focused on training.Only the tiny Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti will
play host to a permanent French army base following Thursday's
withdrawal.France intends to make its base in Djibouti, home to some
1,500 people, its military headquarters for Africa.
UK, Germany vow to tackle people smuggling gangs.
London,
July 17 (AFP) Jul 17, 2025-Britain and Germany signed landmark deals
Wednesday to boost defence ties and crackdown on people smuggling gangs
on the first official visit to the UK by German Chancellor Friedrich
Merz.Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Merz had agreed to change German
law this year so that small boats used to transport migrants across the
English Channel can be seized in Germany."It's a clear sign that we mean
business in every way," the British premier told reporters. Berlin,
though, has yet to confirm when the legislation will be
introduced.Merz's trip came a week after undocumented migrants topped
the political agenda during a state visit to Britain by French President
Emmanuel Macron. Merz said he would host Macron in Germany next
week.Starmer and his German counterpart signed the first ever
"friendship treaty" between their countries at London's Victoria and
Albert Museum, named after Queen Victoria and her German-born husband,
before holding talks at the PM's Downing Street office.Merz said London
and Berlin had agreed an exchange programme, in which German and British
school children would not need visas to take part.Speaking in German,
he said he believed allowing the "young generation" to get to know each
other and their respective countries was a "good basis for the further
development of our relations".- Arms co-operation -Downing Street said
the two leaders would also agree to jointly boost exports of military
goods such as Boxer armoured vehicles and Typhoon jets, which could lead
to "billions of pounds of additional" orders.They would also commit to
developing a precision strike missile with a range of more than 2,000
kilometres (1,250 miles) in the next decade.Undocumented migration has
become a major headache for Starmer's year-old Labour government, as
support for the upstart anti-immigrant Reform UK party soars.More than
22,500 would-be asylum seekers have arrived on England's southeastern
coast by small boat from northern France this year alone.The prime
minister's office said changing the law in Germany would allow police to
"take action against warehouses and storage facilities used by migrant
smugglers" to conceal small boats intended for Channel crossings.Starmer
and Merz also discussed continued support for Ukraine, with both
countries expected to play a role in US President Donald Trump's plan to
send weapons to Kyiv with financing from other NATO countries.- Brexit
trauma -The visit was Merz's first to the UK as chancellor, although he
has already met Starmer several times. They made the same trip by train
to Ukraine just days after Merz took office in early May.The
wide-ranging agreement also known as the "Kensington Treaty" refers to
the turbulent security situation faced by both countries, and includes a
mutual defence pact."There is no strategic threat to one which would
not be a strategic threat to the other," the pact says, with a pledge
the two countries "shall assist one another, including by military
means, in case of an armed attack".While Britain and Germany already
have a commitment to mutual defence as NATO members, the treaty aims to
pave the way for greater defence cooperation, including operations on
NATO's eastern flank.The agreement also seeks to improve Britain's
post-Brexit ties with its neighbours.Macron's trip to Britain in early
July was the first state visit to the country by a European Union head
of state since the UK's acrimonious departure from the EU in 2020
following the 2016 referendum.Merz said that while he personally
"deplore(d)" Britain's decision to leave the bloc, the UK, France and
Germany were "converging" in policy matters including migration and
security.Britain and Germany also agreed that some UK passport holders
would be able to use faster German eGates and they committed to
improving train connections.Last month Eurostar said it planned to
launch a new route from London to Frankfurt in the early 2030s -- the
first such direct connection between the UK and Germany.
