Iran 'could blast Trump with a drone 'in the navel while sunbathing at Mar-a-Lago', official warns'
Javad Larijani, a top advisor to Iran 's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, made the threat weeks after the so-called 12-Day War between Iran and Israel that America later joined.
After Israeli forced bombed civilian, military and nuclear sites in Iran, which responded to with its own attacks on Israel, Trump ordered American forces to join Israel's offensive.
As a result of America's involvement, Larijani said, according to Iran International: 'Trump has done something that he can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago. As he lies there with his stomach to the sun, a small drone might hit him in the navel. It's very simple.'
The threat comes just weeks after a top Iranian cleric issued a fatwa against Trump, declaring him an 'enemy of god.'
Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi said that both Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu were guilty of 'mobareb', the term in Islamic law for waging war against God.
Shirazi added in the fatwa: 'Any cooperation or support for that enemy by Muslims or Islamic states is haram or forbidden.
'It is necessary for all Muslims around the world to make these enemies regret their words and mistakes.'
He also said that if a 'Muslim who abides by his Muslim duty suffer hardship or loss in their campaign, they will be rewarded as a fighter in the way of God, God willing.'
As Iran continues to recover from the aerial war with Israel and the US, Netanyahu said on Wednesday his meeting with Trump focused on freeing hostages held in Gaza, as Israel continued to pound the Palestinian territory amid efforts to reach a ceasefire.
Netanyahu said on X that the leaders also discussed the consequences and possibilities of 'the great victory we achieved over Iran,' following an aerial war last month in which the United States joined Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic's nuclear sites.
Netanyahu is making his third US visit since Trump took office on January 20 and had earlier told reporters that while he did not think Israel's campaign in the Palestinian enclave was done, negotiators are 'certainly working' on a ceasefire.
Trump met Netanyahu on Tuesday for the second time in two days to discuss the situation in Gaza, with the president's Middle East envoy indicating that Israel and Hamas were nearing an agreement on a ceasefire deal after 21 months of war.
A delegation from Qatar, the host of indirect talks between Israeli negotiators and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, met senior White House officials before Netanyahu's arrival on Tuesday, Axios said, citing a source familiar with the details.
The White House had no immediate comment on the report.
Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, said the number of issues preventing Israel and Hamas from reaching an agreement had decreased from four to one, expressing optimism for a temporary ceasefire deal by the end of the week.
Witkoff told reporters at a Cabinet meeting that the anticipated agreement would involve a 60-day ceasefire, with the release of 10 living and nine deceased hostages.
Netanyahu met with Vice President JD Vance before visiting the US Capitol on Tuesday, and was due back in Congress on Wednesday to meet US Senate leaders.
'We have still to finish the job in Gaza, release all our hostages, eliminate and destroy Hamas' military and government capabilities,' Netanyahu told reporters on Tuesday.
In recent weeks Israel's military has continued to hammer Gaza, where a teddy bear lay in the rubble on Wednesday at the site of one overnight airstrike in southern Gaza's Khan Younis.
Umm Mohammed Shaaban, a Palestinian grandmother mourning the deaths of three of her grandchildren in the attack, questioned the timing of a proposed ceasefire.
'After they finished us, they say they'll make a truce?' she said.
In Gaza City, people removed debris after another overnight airstrike, searching through a three-story house for survivors to no avail.
One resident, Ahmed al-Nahhal, said there was no fuel for trucks to help in rescue efforts. 'From midnight till now, we have been looking for the children,' he said.
Nearby men carried bodies in shrouds while women wept. Some kissed bodies placed in the back of a vehicle.
The Gaza conflict began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that killed approximately 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken, according to Israeli figures. Around 50 hostages remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive.
Israel's retaliatory war has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, Gaza's health ministry says, and reduced much of Gaza to rubble.
Hamas has long demanded an end to the war before it would free the remaining hostages. Israel has insisted it would not agree to stop fighting until all hostages are released and Hamas dismantled.
The United Nations estimates that most of Gaza's population of more than 2 million has been displaced, with experts saying in May that nearly half a million people faced the risk of starvation.
Netanyahu has meanwhile expressed hope that Israel could expand the Abraham Accords, normalisation deals reached between the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco in 2020 under US mediation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Syria's massive wildfires brought under control after days of intense battles
Some of Syria's worst wildfires in years have been brought under control as of Sunday, according to the Civil Defense and the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management, following days of grueling firefighting in the forested countryside of the coastal Latakia province. The blazes, which started 10 days ago and swept through the heavily wooded area of several mountain ranges, were fanned by strong winds, scorching summer heat and unexploded ordnance left behind from the country's 13-year civil war. Firefighters faced hazardous conditions with support from aerial teams and engineering units working to open firebreaks in the dense terrain. In a statement, the Civil Defense said the spread of the fire was halted on Sunday morning, following 'extensive efforts by firefighting teams and both helicopter and glider aircraft.' Crews remain on the ground conducting cooling operations and monitoring the area to prevent new flare-ups, it added. More than 15,000 hectares of forest were burned, according to Abed al-Kafi Kayal, a civil defense team leader. 'There are no injuries among residents,' he told The Associated Press. 'Some firefighters were hurt, mostly from slipping, road conditions or the intensity of the flames.' Firefighting helicopters swept low over ridgelines on Saturday, dumping water onto hotspots as ground crews worked below to contain flare-ups. Among the pilots were defectors who had left the Syrian Air Force in 2012 during the uprising against President Bashar Assad. Now, some have rejoined under the new government and are contributing to the emergency effort. Col. Ameen al-Ameen, who returned to service after 14 years, said his team has been flying 'day and night' for 10 consecutive days. 'We are extinguishing fires and doing our duty toward our country and people, who need us after this long period,' he said. By Saturday evening, teams had successfully contained hotspots on all fronts. The civil defense statement praised the 'tremendous efforts' of Syrian firefighters along with Turkish and Arab support teams, and noted that roads and fire lines were being cut through the forest to help prevent future spread. Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh said the firefighting efforts had reached a 'promising stage' by Saturday night. 'The scene is changing, the smoke is clearing and teams continue working intensively to extinguish remaining hotspots,' he said. The United Nations also stepped in to support the emergency response. U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, announced on Thursday the allocation of $625,000 from the Syria Humanitarian Fund to assist those affected. Initial U.N. assessments suggest thousands have been displaced, with significant damage to farmland, infrastructure, and livelihoods in the coastal region. U.N. agencies said they are coordinating closely with local authorities and stand ready to mobilize further aid if needed. 'The wildfires have had catastrophic consequences on the local communities and require our immediate attention,' said Abdelmoula. He called on international donors to step up, warning that 'timely and flexible funding is critical to saving lives and protecting communities in moments of crisis.' Al-Saleh praised the assistance of firefighting teams from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Qatar. 'We promise our people that we will not leave until the last spark has been extinguished,' he said. Summer fires are common in the eastern Mediterranean region, where experts warn that climate change is intensifying conditions that lead to blazes. Also, below-average rainfall over the winter left Syrians struggling with water shortages this summer, as the springs and rivers that normally supply much of the population with drinking water have gone dry.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
'Putin tells Iran to accept US nuclear deal supporting zero enrichment'
Vladimir Putin has allegedly told Iran to accept a US nuclear deal in which they would be unable to enrich uranium. The Russian President is said to have told both Donald Trump and Iranian officials that he supports the deal, despite Russia being one of the Middle Eastern country's key allies. American news site, Axios, claim three European officials and one Israeli official, who have knowledge of the discussions, have said that Moscow has encouraged the stance and that Putin also informed French President Emmanuel Macron. A European official reportedly told the site: 'Putin would support zero enrichment. He encouraged the Iranians to work towards that in order to make negotiations with the Americans more favorable. The Iranians said they won't consider it.' And an Israeli official allegedly added: 'We know this is what Putin told the Iranians.' However, Iran's semi-official news agency, Tasnim, denied the report, quoting an 'informed source' as saying Putin had not sent any message to Iran in this regard. The US have been trying to broker a deal with Iran after Trump said they 'cannot have a nuclear weapon' and launched strikes on three of the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities. However, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said last month that the country not having the ability to enrich uranium - used to fuel nuclear power plants and atomic warheads - was '100 per cent' against their best interests. Axios claim their sources close to the negotiations have said that Russia would supply Iran with 3.67 per cent of its uranium, which it would remove, for nuclear power, if a deal is brokered. It is also alleged that they would provide Iran with 'small quantities' of 20 per cent enriched uranium for their Tehran research reactor and the 'production of nuclear isotopes'. They additionally reported that US envoy Steve Witkoff has been in discussions about resuming nuclear negotiations in the coming days, after plans to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in the Norwegian capital of Oslo were scrapped. The reports about Putin's new stance come just weeks after the Russian President vowed to back Iran and condemned 'groundless' aggression against its ally after the US joined Israel in striking nuclear facilities last month. 'This is an absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran,' Putin told Araghchi, who travelled to Moscow seeking support in mediation. Putin called the strikes 'unjustified' and added that Russia was ' making efforts to provide assistance to the Iranian people.' The Russian President did not single out the US attacks, talking instead broadly of 'strikes' against Iran, though the Kremlin had earlier said it condemned and regretted the US strikes. 'There has been a new escalation of tensions in the region, and, of course, we condemn this and express our deep regret in this regard,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, shortly before Putin met Araghchi in the Kremlin. Araghchi thanked Putin for condemning the US strikes on Iran, telling him Russia stood on 'the right side of history'. The crisis violently escalated last month when the United States sent a fleet of stealth bombers to attack nuclear facilities across Iran. Israel initiated the conflict with unilateral strikes against Iran, citing concerns the regime was trying to build a nuclear bomb, which Iran has consistently denied.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Why any ceasefire in Gaza will not hold
Could there be a temporary Gaza ceasefire and partial hostage deal in the next days or weeks? Yes. Would it lead to the end of the war and a ' postwar Gaza ' structure? No. Why? For a multitude of of reasons, but the one overarching and overriding reason is that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not want to end the war. He is infatuated with his 'wartime leader' status, convinced that he is drastically remodelling the Middle East geopolitical landscape in Gaza, Iran and elsewhere. And for his political interests and expediency, he needs to perpetuate a war and emergency atmosphere. The New York Times Magazine just published a comprehensive and detailed account of how Netanyahu has been prolonging the war since early 2024. By all indications, this policy trajectory continues and applies to both Gaza and to a future, second strike against Iran, as Netanyahu himself attested during his visit to Washington during the past week. How does this affect the chances of a ceasefire? The endless talk and abundant speculation of an imminent Gaza ceasefire has become tragically tedious and predictable, with each day bringing a combination of reasons why a deal is just around the corner and the caveat that it won't last. There's an explanation for that: the deal that is being negotiated at varying pace – which includes a 60-day ceasefire, a partial exchange of 10 live Israeli hostages and 18 deceased hostages, in exchange for an undisclosed (but large) number of Palestinian prisoners, some convicted of terrorism and murder – is partial. It is supposed to lead to a bigger agreement, and thus its principles, tenets and stages are derived from that 'postwar Gaza' framework. On that framework the sides are not even close. In fact, it is safe to assume that even if a ceasefire deal is struck in the next days or weeks, its durability is highly questionable. It is almost inevitably doomed to be violated just like the almost identical truce agreement that was in place in January, lasted for 58 days and was then breached by Israel in mid-March. The reasons for this realistic but patently pessimistic outlook are both substantive and political and are manifest in glaring inner contradictions between the two phases. There is a series of unanswered questions underlining the current negotiations, with a short answer to each: will Hamas stay in power? De facto yes, according to the current deal. No, according to the postwar plans that Israel, the US and some Arab countries are considering. Will Israel redeploy and gradually withdraw from the Gaza Strip? Yes, according to the agreement. No, according to Israel, which insists on large and wide buffer zones and total control over Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Are these reconcilable? Of course not. Then comes the question of what guarantees exactly did the US provide Hamas that Israel will not resume the war after 60 days? Unclear. How are those assurances consistent with a postwar plan that disposes of Hamas? They are not. Who is in charge of humanitarian aid and the supply of food and medicine to Gaza? Not clear. What is included in the so-called 'postwar Gaza' political plan and power structure? The US is favorably considering a primarily Emirati plan, which others, but not Israel, have contributed to. The plan has five main principles, all based on the successful implementation of the 60-day cessation of hostilities: A gradual transition to governance by 'non-Hamas Palestinians״ backed by five Arab countries: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. A security force will be drawn from some of those countries, backed by US private contractors and possibly a US Command and Control center, situated outside Gaza. The plan will be launched after the Palestinian Authority invited those countries to execute the plan. That way, the Palestinian Authority is involved, but Israel could credibly claim that it is not a part of the governing structure. The Arab partners will vet, recruit and train a new security force and raise the necessary funds (estimated in excess of $60bn) for Gaza rebuilding. This plan will impel the Palestinian Authority to reform and become a reliable interlocutor. Does Israel agree to such a plan? No. Does it have an alternative plan? Not really. And that brings us to the second paradox that dooms a long-term agreement: the so-called ' humanitarian city '. The term is morally depraved Orwellian 'Newspeak' likely borrowed from some third-rate dystopian sci-fi movie and the would-be place has been described as a location for ethnic cleansing and forcible displacement. Clearly, in order to advance this patently unviable objective (which the Israeli military opposes vehemently) Israel needs to maintain vast military presence in Gaza. So yes, a temporary ceasefire agreement is possible and should be welcomed given the alternative. But no, this does not portend any permanent agreement as long as Mr Netanyahu believes the war must continue.
