
Israel's deadliest blow yet: Top Iranian generals and nuclear scientists killed; Here's who died and who's replacing them
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Major General Gholamali Rashid, head of the Khatam al Anbia base.
Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to the Supreme Leader, who was critically injured.
Several high-ranking IRGC air defence and drone unit officers.
Six nuclear scientists dead
Abdolhamid Manouchehr
Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari
Amirhossein Feghi
Motalibizadeh
Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi
Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, former head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation and ex-MP
Khamenei responds with new military leadership
Iran retaliates, closes airspace
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Israel launched a sweeping military operation against Iran early Friday, killing key figures in Tehran's military and nuclear establishments in what has become the most significant strike against Iran since the 1980s. The campaign, dubbed Operation Rising Lion , saw Israeli warplanes hit multiple high-value targets across Iran, including underground nuclear enrichment facilities and command centres.Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, 'Moments ago, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival. This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.'According to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), around 200 fighter jets were deployed. Intelligence sources also told the Associated Press that Israeli spy agency Mossad had smuggled drones and precision weapons into Iranian territory ahead of the strikes. The damage, Iranian officials admitted, was extensive.Among the most prominent figures killed was General Hossein Salami , commander-in-chief of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Salami, who had been appointed in 2019 by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was reportedly at the IRGC headquarters in Tehran when it was struck.General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran's top military official and chief of staff of the armed forces, was also confirmed dead. Bagheri, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, had held his post since 2016.Israel claimed it had also killed General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guard's Aerospace Force. Hajizadeh had long been accused by Israel of orchestrating drone and missile attacks against its territory. In a statement quoted by the Times of Israel, the IDF said, 'Hajizadeh publicly pledged allegiance to the idea of destroying Israel on multiple occasions in recent years and played a central role in formulating the plan to destroy Israel.'CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reported that the command structures of both the IRGC and Iran's military branches were hit hard. According to regional sources cited by Reuters, at least 20 senior commanders were killed.The list also includes:The Israeli strikes were also aimed at weakening Iran's nuclear programme. Six senior nuclear scientists were killed:Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation acknowledged that the Natanz enrichment site suffered damage but insisted there was no radiation leak. The UN nuclear watchdog, IAEA, confirmed that another key site, Fordo, remained unaffected. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi urged both parties to exercise 'maximum restraint' and said he was willing to travel to Tehran for talks.Hours after the strikes, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei named General Abdolrahim Mousavi as the new chief of staff of the armed forces and appointed Mohammad Pakpour as head of the Revolutionary Guard. Khamenei warned, 'Jerusalem will face severe punishment.'He added, 'Israel opened its wicked and blood-stained hand to commit a crime against our beloved country, revealing its malicious nature more than ever by striking residential centres.'Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the 'legitimate and powerful response' would make Israel regret its 'foolish act.'In immediate response, Iran launched more than 100 drones towards Jerusalem. The IDF confirmed that air defence systems intercepted several of them. Meanwhile, Israel declared a state of emergency, with sirens sounding across major cities.Flights were grounded and airspace closed over Israel, Iran, Iraq, and Jordan. International carriers cancelled services, citing safety concerns. Internet restrictions were imposed in parts of Iran, with the Communications Ministry stating the move was temporary and would be lifted 'once normalcy returns.'India urged both nations to avoid further escalation. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi maintained 'close and friendly' ties with both countries and advised Indian nationals in the region to remain vigilant.World leaders from the US, UK, China, Japan, and Australia called for restraint. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified, 'The United States was not involved in Israel's unilateral military action.'Oil markets reacted sharply. US benchmark crude jumped by $4.97 to $72.91 a barrel, while Brent crude rose by $4.78 to $74.15. Richard Joswick of S&P Global said prices could rise further, depending on how the conflict unfolds.
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The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
‘Civil society globally did a fantastic job in supporting Gaza; but governments in West are evil'
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Where does this stand in the present-day? The ICJ, as you know, is a court for the states. Since January 2015, we have been trying our best and have invested in making a case move at the ICC. But, there was an incredible amount of political pressure from the U.S., especially from the then Donald Trump-led administration. Penalties were warned on anyone who would try to bring the U.S. or Israel to the ICC, at any political level. This lasted till March 2021, when the ICC chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, decided to open an investigation. However, when Karim Khan took over as the new chief prosecutor of the ICC, he did not move anywhere. If I may interrupt, can you elaborate on why things did not move after Karim Khan took over? We do not know, but he was talking about restructuring the court, and the investigation into Palestine and budget deficits, among others. His priorities were very confusing to us, and he refused to meet us, even in principle, for a long period of time. When the October 7, 2023, attacks took place in Israel, we tried to meet Khan on numerous occasions. He already had the decision made by Fatou Bensouda to go ahead with the investigation. All Khan had to do was to ensure the investigation went ahead, but he did not do that. He continued to refuse a meeting with us, including with his investigative team. That is when we decided to think of the ICJ, and to open the dialogue channels with Ireland and South Africa, and the latter was open to the idea. We were lucky that South Africa…took over the case at the ICJ and challenged Israel while accusing the latter of the most serious crime of genocide. Coming back to Karim Khan, there has been recent news that he was reportedly warned to be 'destroyed', along with the ICC, if the arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant were not withdrawn. As a human rights lawyer, how do you perceive this? Despite the first Trump-led administration deciding that it would sanction anyone who tried to demand accountability [from the U.S. or Israel], Bensouda was incredibly courageous to challenge that. She formed the investigative body and had a meeting with us, and the investigation was simply supposed to proceed. We have documented war crimes dating back to 2014 – including crimes against humanity and persecution. However, after Khan took over, he refused to meet. It is very strange that a prosecutor, and his team, who cannot visit the place [Gaza], had no interest in meeting the lawyers who had documentation of the situation. Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine erupted. Soon after, he opened an office in Kyiv and began the investigation in Ukraine with 37 investigators. But, he did not move with respect to our file. We warned them [Khan and his team] after the October 7th attacks that there is obvious evidence of plans to carry out a genocide in Gaza. Still, they did not want to meet or listen. Only after making the case at the ICJ did Khan ask to meet us, and we were reluctant. I told Khan that he was partly responsible for the blood, pain and suffering of Gaza, after October 7th. Maybe if Khan had held any Israelis accountable, according to the files he had, then they [Israel] would not have thought of doing genocide. He promised to move forward, but only after he went to Israel and met the Israeli victims… Later, he delivered the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant, but is that enough? These warrants are related to starvation and food, and not to genocide. Do you feel that Karim has failed you [and the people of Gaza]? Definitely. By waiting two years after taking over [to initiate action], he failed us… I do not want more than what he did for Ukraine. In one year, he had a warrant against Putin. I am damn sure that if Israel had been informed that they could be held accountable, they would have thought many times before doing what they are doing now… This is the most well-documented conflict in history, this is a genocide that was broadcast and live-streamed, and the world has been watching it? Speaking of war crimes, do you feel that the world and the media has turned its back on Gaza? I think the civil society, globally, did a fantastic job on [supporting] Gaza. I am very proud that the crème-de-la-crème of American universities and the generation of tomorrow stood fair, and they tried their best to voice the voiceless. They were able to speak truth to power. This includes people in London, Tokyo, Delhi and Paris, among others. It is obvious, the solidarity and support for Palestine. Our problem is not with the people…but the government's, in the U.S. and Europe, are evil. How can they support a criminal, belligerent occupation, and call a genocide a right to self-defence? I am appalled, the behaviour is selective. I also noticed that you were no longer based in Gaza, a place that you were not willing to leave at any cost. What made you leave Gaza? I did not leave Gaza willingly, my house was bombed. I have been a lawyer for the last 43 years, and one of my missions is to document these war crimes. I was checking whether the targeting against me was deliberate or not. My colleagues and I concluded that yes, this was deliberate. I was advised by my friends from across the world not to stay a minute longer in Gaza, because they believed that targeting was deliberate. They said that nobody will make use of you if you are dead. On the other hand, my wife and son refused to separate from me and leave for Egypt. At that time, it was 'mission impossible' to leave Gaza. But some friends intervened and got me out of there. For the first time, I feel that I am not in the right place [because I am away from Gaza]. You did mention that you had proper documentation of the alleged war crimes. Can you walk us through the testimonies of the victims, which you have gathered? We have had a real dilemma since the latest war broke out, because we never used to document anything partly. I can assure you that whether it's in 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2017 and more, we have documented every war crime – crimes against humanity, persecution – in full. But, in this war, it was 'mission impossible' to document everything. Firstly, it was extremely dangerous, so I asked everyone in my team to stay home. We decided to do selective documentation, what that means is that we had to be selective in how many places we could cover. But wherever we covered, we did it in full. We documented attacks against shelters, UNRWA schools and hundreds of people have been killed, among many other war crimes. We have major samples on every type of crime that was committed. Do you ever plan to return to Gaza, given that there is an alleged threat to your life? Definitely, that is the first thing on my agenda. I am a deep-rooted Gazan, my family has lived in Gaza for the last seven centuries. I chose to be in Gaza, even when I was offered work in places across the world. I know that Gaza is not the most beautiful place in the world, but that is where I belong and feel my humanity. And there is a cause and case that I am working for. I have a team in Gaza, 45 of them, they continue to document starvation, bombings, killings and displacement. We have lost three of our staff members so far, and many of our staff members have also lost their family members… Not a for second will I comprise on returning to Gaza, no matter what the price will be.


Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
France to recognise Palestinian State at UN in September; President Macron says ‘there is no alternative'
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First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
France to recognise Palestinian state, Netanyahu calls move 'reward for terror'
President Emmanuel Macron said that a formal announcement on the same would be made at a United Nations General Assembly session read more French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the country will officially recognise a Palestinian state in September, angering many Israeli leaders. The president said that a formal announcement on the same would be made at a United Nations General Assembly session. 'The urgent need today is for the war in Gaza to end and for the civilian population to be rescued. Peace is possible. We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,' Macron wrote. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While Palestinian leaders and Hamas welcomed the move, it drew strong condemnation from Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called it a 'reward for terror'. Macron said that following the recognition of the Palestinian state, focus should be on the militarisation of Hamas. The president attached a letter addressed to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming his decision. 'The French people want peace in the Middle East. It is our responsibility — as French citizens, alongside Israelis, Palestinians, and our European and international partners — to prove that peace is possible,' Macron said. Consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine. I will make this solemn announcement before the United Nations General Assembly this coming September.… — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 24, 2025 Refresh for updates.