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Iran ends cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog after Israel, US strikes

Iran officially suspended its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog on Wednesday, a move the United States described as “unacceptable”.It came after last month’s 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, which saw unprecedented Israeli and US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and sharply escalated tensions between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency.On June 25, a day after a ceasefire took hold, Iranian lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to suspend cooperation with the Vienna-based IAEA. State media confirmed on Wednesday that the legislation had now taken effect.The law aims to “ensure full support for the inherent rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran” under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, with a particular focus on uranium enrichment, according to Iranian media.Washington, which has been pressing Tehran to resume the negotiations that were interrupted by Israel’s resort to military action on June 13, hit out at the Iranian decision.”We’ll use the word unacceptable, that Iran chose to suspend cooperation with the IAEA at a time when it has a window of opportunity to reverse course and choose a path of peace and prosperity,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.The spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres said the decision was “obviously concerning”.Separately, the Pentagon said on Wednesday that US intelligence assessments indicated that the strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites set the country’s atomic programme back by up to two years. “We have degraded their programme by one to two years at least — intel assessments inside the (Defense) Department assess that,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told journalists, later adding: “We’re thinking probably closer to two years.”While IAEA inspectors have had access to Iran’s declared nuclear sites, their current status is uncertain amid the suspension.On Sunday, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, said the inspectors’ work had been suspended but denied there had been any threats against them or IAEA chief Rafael Grossi.He said that the “inspectors are in Iran and are safe”, but “their activities have been suspended, and they are not allowed to access our sites”.- ‘Deceptive and fraudulent’ -The new legislation did not specify any exact steps following the suspension.The ISNA news agency cited lawmaker Alireza Salimi as saying that the inspectors now needed approval from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council to access nuclear sites.Separately, the Mehr news agency cited lawmaker Hamid Reza Haji Babaei as saying that Iran would stop allowing IAEA cameras in nuclear facilities, though it was unclear if this was a requirement of the new law.After parliament passed the bill, it was approved by the Guardian Council and President Masoud Pezeshkian formally enacted the suspension on Wednesday, according to state television.In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar urged European signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal to trigger the “snapback” mechanism and reinstate all UN sanctions on Iran.The snapback, set to expire in October, was part of the nuclear accord that collapsed after Trump unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018. Iran began scaling back its commitments a year later.Iranian officials have warned that the mechanism could prompt their withdrawal from the non-proliferation treaty. Israel, widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, is not an NPT signatory.Germany’s foreign ministry spokesman Martin Giese said that Iran’s move to suspend cooperation with the IAEA was a “disastrous signal”.Since the Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Tehran has sharply criticised the IAEA for its silence and condemned a June 12 UN resolution accusing Iran of non-compliance, which Iranian officials say provided a pretext for the attacks.On Wednesday, senior judiciary official Ali Mozaffari accused Grossi of “preparing the groundwork” for Israel’s raids and called for him to be held accountable, citing “deceptive actions and fraudulent reporting”.- Damage -Iran has rejected Grossi’s requests to visit bombed sites, saying they smacked of “malign intent”.Britain, France and Germany have condemned unspecified “threats” against the IAEA chief.On Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said that the vote to halt cooperation reflected public “concern and anger”.Israel’s 12-day war killed top Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists and drew waves of retaliatory drone and missile fire.On June 22, Israel’s ally the United States launched unprecedented strikes of its own on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz.More than 900 people were killed in Iran during the conflict, according to the judiciary.Iran’s retaliatory attacks killed 28 people in Israel, according to authorities.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has acknowledged “serious” damage to the sites. But in a recent interview with CBS, he said: “One cannot obliterate the technology and science… through bombings.”

Israel far right issues rare rebuke of settler attack on army

An assault by Israeli settlers on soldiers in the occupied West Bank drew condemnation from across the political spectrum, including an unusual rebuke from far-right ministers who typically support the settlement movement.Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, considered the two most hardline members of the ruling coalition, called for the perpetrators to be held accountable.The army said dozens of “civilians” attacked its forces on Sunday night at a military base in the central West Bank, vandalising army vehicles and a security installation.According to Israeli media, the attackers were settlers who targeted the commander of the military’s Binyamin Regional Brigade, calling him a “traitor”.The attack was widely seen as a reprisal for the arrest of six settlers two days earlier.In that incident, the commander and troops were attacked as they tried to stop settlers entering a closed military zone near the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned both attacks, saying “no law-abiding country can tolerate acts of violence and anarchy”.Ben Gvir was among the last senior figures to react.”Harming our security forces, security installations and the soldiers who are our children, brothers and defenders, crosses a red line, and must be treated with the utmost severity,” he wrote on X.A lawyer, Ben Gvir gained a name for himself before entering politics by defending in court several settlers accused of attacking Palestinians in the West Bank.Smotrich wrote on X: “Violence against (Israeli) soldiers and our beloved police forces and the destruction of property are unacceptable.”- West Bank violence -Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and violence has surged there since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza following Hamas’s October 2023 attack.Since then, Israeli troops or settlers in the West Bank have killed at least 947 Palestinians — many of them militants, but also scores of civilians — according to Palestinian health ministry figures.At least 35 Israelis, including both civilians and security forces, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations, according to Israeli official figures.But settler attacks on army positions are rare.”It was too much, even for the far-right,” said Simon Perry, a security expert and associate professor in the criminology department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.”The rioters went overboard,” he told AFP.Nimrod Goren, an expert on foreign relations and a veteran commentator on Israeli politics, said the far-right’s outrage at the assault was merely “lip service”, however.Violent assaults by Israeli settlers against Palestinians have become common since 2023, without drawing any criticism from the political class, he noted.”But when soldiers are affected, all of a sudden people are alerted,” said Goren, who is chairman of the Israeli foreign policy think tank Mitvim.- Settlers’ eviction drive -According to the two Israeli experts, the rioters were part of an informal movement known as the hilltop youth, whose goal is to evict Palestinian residents and establish settlements in the West Bank without government approval.The movement constitutes a fringe, even among the Religious Zionist movement, the ideological backbone of the settlement enterprise.Several human rights NGOs have denounced the rise in violence committed by the settlers, and their perceived impunity.Shortly after his appointment in November 2024, Defence Minister Israel Katz announced an end to administrative detention for West Bank settlers, a practice that allows security forces to detain suspects without charge.Israeli media say the move embolded extremist settlers and led to a wave of attacks in the Palestinian territory.On Tuesday, the Israeli press reported that Katz would not bring it back, contrary to the opinion of Israel’s Shin Bet security service.The measure is still in place for Palestinians.The recent settler violence against army positions in the West Bank even prompted condemnation from leaders within the movement.”Those who wish to protest must act according to the law and not confront the army,” Oded Revivi, a former mayor of the Efrat settlement, and a prominent settler figure, told AFP.There are around 160 Israeli settlements scattered throughout the West Bank, which the UN considers illegal. Their residents number about 500,000, living among a population of three million Palestinians.

Hamas mulls truce proposals after Trump Gaza ceasefire push

Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Wednesday it was discussing proposals for a Gaza ceasefire received from mediators, after US President Donald Trump said Israel backed a 60-day ceasefire in the war-ravaged territory.Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations against Hamas militants.The civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 33 people on Wednesday.Trump on Tuesday urged Hamas to accept a 60-day ceasefire, saying Israel had agreed to finalise such a deal.Hamas said in a statement Wednesday it was “conducting national consultations to discuss” the proposals sent by mediators.It said it aimed “to reach an agreement that guarantees ending the aggression, achieving the withdrawal (of Israeli forces from Gaza) and urgently aiding our people in the Gaza Strip”.Trump is due to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House next week.- Hostage release drive -Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he saw “some positive signs” in the process.”We are serious in our will to reach a hostage deal and a ceasefire,” he said. “Our goal is to begin proximity talks as soon as possible.”He said earlier on X that any chance for a deal that would lead to hostages being freed in Gaza “must not be missed”.Out of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants in October 2023, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.A Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations told AFP “there are no fundamental changes in the new proposal” under discussion compared to previous terms presented by the United States.The source said the new proposal “includes a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release half of the living Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip, in exchange for Israel releasing a number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees”.- Israeli air strikes -In southern Gaza, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that five members of the same family were killed in an Israeli air strike on Wednesday that hit a tent housing displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area.Despite being declared a safe zone by Israel in December 2023, Al-Mawasi has been hit by repeated Israeli strikes.AFP footage from the area showed makeshift tents blown apart as Palestinians picked through the wreckage trying to salvage what was left of their belongings.One man held a pack of nappies, asking: “Is this a weapon?””They came here thinking it was a safe area and they were killed… What did they do?” said another resident, Maha Abu Rizq, against a backdrop of destruction.AFP footage from nearby Khan Yunis city showed infants covered in blood being rushed into Nasser Hospital. One man carrying a child whose face was smeared with blood screamed: “Children, children!”Among other fatalities, Bassal later reported five people killed by Israeli army fire near an aid distribution site close to the southern city of Rafah and a further death following Israeli fire near an aid site in the centre of the territory.They were the latest in a string of deadly incidents that have hit people waiting for food.- Hospital director killed -Among fatalities further north, Palestinian officials and witnesses said an Israeli strike killed the director of the Indonesian Hospital, a key facility in northern Gaza.Doctor Marwan Al-Sultan was killed in his apartment in Gaza City along with his wife, daughters and son-in-law, a relative who said he found them, Ahmed al-Sultan, told AFP.Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers.Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it “is operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities” in line with “international law, and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm”.Asked to comment on the death of the doctor, it said reports of harm to civilians in a strike on Gaza City were “being reviewed”.On Tuesday the military said that in recent days its forces had expanded operations across Gaza.It said in a statement Wednesday that a 19-year-old sergeant in its forces “fell during combat in the northern Gaza Strip”.It said its air force had intercepted two “projectiles” that crossed from northern Gaza into Israeli territory.Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 57,012 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The United Nations considers its figures reliable.

Hamas says discussing proposals after Trump Gaza ceasefire push

Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Wednesday it was discussing proposals for a Gaza ceasefire received from mediators, after US President Donald Trump said Israel backed a 60-day ceasefire in the war-ravaged territory.Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations against Hamas militants.The civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 33 people on Wednesday.Trump urged Hamas on Tuesday to accept a 60-day ceasefire, saying Israel had agreed to finalise such a deal. The Israeli government has not commented on that claim.Hamas said in a statement Wednesday it was “conducting national consultations to discuss what we received from the proposals of the… mediators”.It said it aimed “to reach an agreement that guarantees ending the aggression, achieving the withdrawal (of Israel from Gaza) and urgently aiding our people in the Gaza Strip”.Without directly mentioning Trump’s remarks, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that “a large majority within the government and the population is in favour” of a deal to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.”If the opportunity arises, it must not be missed!” Saar wrote on X.Out of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants during Hamas’s 2023 attack that triggered the war, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.On the ground in southern Gaza, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that five members of the same family were killed in an Israeli air strike on Wednesday that hit a tent housing displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area.Despite being declared a safe zone by Israel in December 2023, Al-Mawasi has been hit by repeated Israeli strikes.- Children covered in blood -AFP footage from the area showed makeshift tents blown apart as Palestinians picked through the wreckage trying to salvage what was left of their belongings.One man held a pack of nappies, asking: “Is this a weapon?””They came here thinking it was a safe area and they were killed… What did they do?” said another resident, Maha Abu Rizq, against a backdrop of destruction.AFP footage from nearby Khan Yunis city showed infants covered in blood being rushed into Nasser Hospital. One man carrying a child whose face was smeared with blood screamed: “Children, children!”Some appeared terrified while others lay still on hospital beds in bloodied bandages and clothes as medics treated them.Further north, Bassal said four people from the same family were killed in a pre-dawn Israeli air strike on a house in Gaza City, and another five in a drone strike on a house in the central Deir el-Balah area.Bassal later reported seven killed in a strike in Gaza City, five more killed by Israeli army fire near an aid distribution site close to the southern city of Rafah, and a further death following Israeli fire near an aid site in the centre of the territory.They are the latest in a string of deadly incidents that have hit people waiting for food. Bassal said a further four people were killed in an air strike on a tent for displaced people southwest of Gaza City and two in an air strike on a school housing displaced people in Gaza City’s Zeitun neighbourhood.Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers.Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it “is operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities” in line with “international law, and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm”.On Tuesday the military said that in recent days its forces had expanded operations across Gaza.- Ceasefire push -After months of stalled mediation efforts to bring an end to the war, Trump said on social media on Tuesday that a new ceasefire push has Israel’s support.”Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War,” Trump said.He added that Qatari and Egyptian mediators, who have been in direct contact with Hamas throughout the war, would deliver “this final proposal”.”I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE.”Trump is due to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House next week.Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 57,012 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The United Nations considers its figures reliable.