Germany to Iran: Prove you're not building nuclear weapons
Shafaq News/ German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul urged Iran on Wednesday to provide clear, verifiable assurances that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons.
At a joint press conference in Berlin with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi, Wadephul reaffirmed Germany's openness to diplomacy but pressed Tehran to act swiftly. 'It is never too late to come to the negotiating table, if one comes with sincere intentions.'
His remarks followed a sharp escalation in regional tensions after Israel's June 13 launch of Operation Rising Lion, which targeted Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure. Tehran claimed the strikes also hit peaceful nuclear facilities.
Germany, along with the US and UK, has endorsed Israel's right to self-defense in response to Iran's retaliatory barrage, known as True Promise 3. On Tuesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz defended the Israeli campaign, describing it as 'the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us.'
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Memri
2 hours ago
- Memri
Arab Writers: Iran Is An Enemy Of The Arabs; By Attacking It, Israel Did The Job The Arabs Were Afraid Of
After Israeli launched its military operation against Iran and its nuclear facilities on June 13, 2025, all the Arab countries except for Syria rushed to condemn it and to express support for Iran, including countries whose relations with Iran are marked by tension and suspicion. For example, a statement from the Saudi foreign ministry condemned "the harsh Israeli attacks on the sister Iranian Islamic Republic," and Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan hastened to phone his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, to express his support.[1] The Emirati foreign ministry likewise issued a "stern" condemnation of "Israel's military attack" and expressed concern about further escalation and its impact on the security and stability of the region.[2] The Egyptian foreign ministry described the situation as "a very dangerous regional escalation, a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter and a direct threat to regional and international peace and security."[3] At a meeting of Jordan's National Security Council convened to discuss the implications of the Israeli attack, King Abdullah II described it as "a violation of international law… and of the sovereignty of the country," and declared that Jordan opposed anyone "turning it into an arena of war."[4] Conversely, liberal writers in these countries were outspoken in their support for Israel and for its attack on Iran, and expressed admiration of Israel's military capabilities, while noting that it is defending not only itself but the entire Middle East. The Israeli operation, they stressed, proved that the threats voiced by Iran against it over so many years were empty and hollow, and that Iran is merely "a paper tiger," as stated in the past by Saudi officials such as former foreign minister Saud Al-Faisal. Responding to Arabs who called to support Iran in its difficult hour because it is a protector of the Muslims and the Palestinians, these writers argued that, in actual fact, Iran has operated against Arab countries for years and massacred their citizens. Some also urged the Iranian people to seize the opportunity to rise up against the oppressive Iranian regime. This report reviews examples of this liberal discourse: Israel Has The Right To Attack Iran On June 12, one day before the Israeli attack on Iran, Emirati political analyst Salem Al-Ketbi wrote on the Saudi website Elaph: "Israel finds itself facing a blatant and unambiguous existential threat, given the verified intelligence about the progress of Iran's nuclear program and the development of its missile arsenal with direct support from China. In light of this escalation, a military strike appears to be a necessity rather than a strategic luxury. However, [a military strike by Israel] may not be sufficient to stop the Iranian project unless accompanied by large-scale American involvement and unprecedented international pressure. And so the major question remains: does the international community have the political will to bear the consequences of this confrontation, or will Western hesitation leave Israel and the entire region teetering on the edge of a nuclear storm that threatens everyone?"[5] Israel Dazzles The World With Amazing Campaigns, Makes Sacrifices For The Region And The World Many writers expressed admiration for the Israeli campaign, which began with a series of attacks on military targets across Iran. Saudi journalist Abdullah Al-Jadi' wrote: "Israel is dazzling the world in the full sense of the word: fronts are lighting up everywhere, [with] unprecedented infiltrations and high-quality operations unlike anything the world has known before. Yet despite this, some [supporters of the] Muslim Brotherhood keep repeating that [Israel] is drowning in the sands of Gaza."[6] Some writers thanked Israel for its operation against Iran, saying that this country has for years caused great harm in many Arab countries, but they did nothing to stop it. Hence, the Israeli attack benefits the Arabs and even humanity as a whole. Saudi journalist Abd Al-Aziz Al-Khames wrote on X that "Netanyahu has done what none of the Arabs have." He also shared an eight-minute video in which he said that Iran has harmed the Arabs for years, interfering in their countries' affairs and destroyed them, but despite this it was never punished and never suffered, but rather managed to expand, spread and increase its power in the region. This, he added, went on "until Allah brought the Arabs Netanyahu," who managed to attack the bases of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Syria, thus paving the way to the fall of the Assad regime, and also managed to attack Hizbullah in Lebanon. "Netanyahu is doing what the Arabs and all their leaders never managed to do in the past," he wrote. "He has managed to grant the Arabs many gifts and to weaken Iran."[7] Emirati activist Loay Alshareef posted in English: "Israel is not fighting on its behalf, Israel is fighting on behalf of humanity."[8] Brave Israel Is Liberating The Middle East From Terrorism; This Is A Gift To The Region And To Humanity As A Whole Some of the writers who praised Israel for its operation and expressed total support for it wrote that, while Israel attacks military facilities, Iran deliberately attacks Israeli civilians. Kuwaiti liberal Jasem Ak-Juraid shared pictures of devastation caused to residential neighborhoods in Israel, and commented: "I am Kuwaiti and I say that Israel attacks nuclear facilities and terrorists [while] the despicable Mullah regime kills innocent people of different races using imprecise ballistic missiles. Terror is clearly Khamenei's conduct and way of life, [whereas] Israel wants comprehensive peace in the region and sacrifices [greatly] to eliminate terrorism. [I feel nothing but] solidarity with Israel, its people and its army." Al-Juraid ended his post with an Israeli flag emoji. In another post, accompanied by the same emoji, he wrote: "Brave Israel is doing a humanitarian service to the Middle East by destroying the fascist nuclear facilities of the Supreme Leader of occupied Iran." Al-Juraid also posted in Hebrew, writing: "You [Israelis] are a great people that has suffered much at the hands of the fascist Iranian regime. You are the ones liberating the Middle East from terrorism. I wish the Israeli people security and victory. What you are doing is a gift to the Middle East and to humanity at large. As always, I feel solidarity with you and love you, [both the Israeli] people and [your] army." In another post he added: "Can a single operation lasting several hours completely destroy nuclear infrastructures? Nobody has ever achieved such a brilliant accomplishment… Israel dazzles the world and we wish it and its people security."[9] One of Jasem Al-Juraid's posts Bahraini liberal Amjad Taha wrote in English: "Iran is violating international law by entering the airspace of sovereign nations without permission to target and kill children. Right now, as babies and women in Israel stand on the frontlines of humanity, the Islamist regime in Iran unleashes terror, striking schools, hospitals, and homes in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. We condemn this wickedness…"[10] Iran Is A Paper Tiger Several writers stated that the success of the Israeli attacks in Iran prove that the latter's threats over the years to destroy Israel were hollow and show that it is merely a paper tiger – as senior Saudi officials have said in the past, among them former foreign minister Saud Al-Faisal and former intelligence chief and ambassador to the U.S. Turki Al-Faisal. Saudi writer Jihad Al-Obaid posted a picture of a paper tiger and wrote: "For more than 18 hours, Israel has been attacking sensitive targets and military bases [in Iran], eliminating military commanders and prominent scientists, and destroying radar, missile launchers and nuclear facilities, while Tehran has been watching helplessly, unable to do anything but make empty boasts. Those are the [true] capabilities of Iran, which has been threatening to wipe Israel off the map and liberate Jerusalem for over 40 years."[11] Jihad Al-Obaid's post Moroccan security expert Abd Al-Haq Al-Sanaibi wrote on X: "The Israeli attack in Iran will reveal that the Safavid entity [i.e., Iran] is a 'paper tiger,' as one of the Saudi princes called it. This is the end of the myth of [Iran's slogan] 'death to Israel and death to America'…"[12] Emirati political analyst Salem Al-Ketbi wrote: "History has no mercy and geography offers no protection. Whoever thinks the mountains will protect Iran from an Israeli attack should remember how regimes and countries stronger [than Iran] fell at decisive moments. As the confrontation continues, Iran becomes like a person digging his grave with his own hands. The sanctions are eroding its economy and the attacks are emptying its warehouses while its leaders hide in tunnels. The difference between Israel and Iran is that Israel takes the initiative and attacks whenever it wants, while Iran has nothing but cries and empty threats. This is exactly what happened during the recent night of missile attacks. Whoever counts on the strong position of the Mullah regime is like someone who bets on a losing horse in a race already run. Every passing day brings [the Mullahs] closer to the inescapable moment of truth [and to] a resounding collapse."[13] Iran Fights Against The Muslims And The Arabs, Not For Them Some of the writers rejected claims made by supporters of Iran, that it deserves assistance and support for the sacrifices it has made for the sake of the Palestinians and the Arabs. They retorted that Iran acts only in its own interests and has, in fact, harmed Arabs and Muslims. Saudi online activist Abd Al-Karim Al-Awad responded to a post by Algerian commentator Hafid Al-Derradji, who called to support Iran because it is a Muslim country. Al-Awad wrote: "Where were your conscience and manliness when Iran and its militias were killing Sunnis in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen[?] Where was your conscience when Iran was destroying [these] four Arab countries[?] Where was your conscience when Iran was displacing over ten million Syrians from their country[?] Where was your conscience when Iran was sowing corruption, killing, slaughtering and bombing… A dog is a dog even if covered in gold." [14] Saudi writer Saleh Al-Fahid wrote: "Iran is fighting just to defend its nuclear program, not for the sake of the Palestinians or Muslims. When Gaza was being pulverized, the Iranians did not fight for its people, tens of thousands of whom were killed. The attempt of some of Iran's supporters to paint [its] confrontation [with Israel] as anything but a struggle over nuclear power is an act of deception and misleading."[15] In another post he wrote: "The biggest lie being spread by [Iran's] proxies and tools is that it is fighting Israel today to advance the Palestinian cause and support Gaza. That is clearly untrue. The war has broken out because Israel bombed and attacked Iran and eliminated its military commanders and nuclear scientists in order to keep it from completing its nuclear program. Iran did not fire a single bullet until 12 hours later. This means that Iran is not fighting on anyone's behalf, but was forced to respond to a massive and extremely painful Israeli attack."[16] Egyptian liberal Amr Bakly wrote: "As far as I am concerned, no excuse is more despicable and crooked than citing international law and legitimacy to defend the legitimacy of the Iranian regime. For 45 years, [Iran has been responsible for] terror, crimes and assassinations on four continents, and for thousands of victims, and then some political novices come along and speak to us about international law and sovereignty. This regime, and its supporters who are defending it, can go to hell."[17] Egyptian liberal and author Amr Bakly rejected the claim that with its attack Israel was violating international law and wrote: "There is no more pathetic and warped logic than employing the law and international legitimacy to defend the legitimacy of the Iranian regime. For 45 years [Iran has orchestrated] terrorism, crime and assassinations on four continents, which claimed hundreds of thousands of victims and then a few political novices come along and talk about international law and sovereignty. If only this regime and its supporters would all go to hell."[18] Calls For The Iranian People to Rise Up Against The Regime Bahraini media figure Ahdeya Ahmed Al-Sayed urged the Iranians to take advantage of the weakness of the Iranian regime following the attacks and bring it down. In an English post on her X account she wrote: "Following Israeli airstrikes in Tehran that killed the IRGC commander, top officials, and nuclear scientists — and severely injured Khamenei's advisor and Iran's Chief of Staff – the Iranian people face a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rise and end 46 years of terrorism and tyranny"[19] Criticism Of The Arabs: Their Hatred Of Israel Blinds Them To What Iran Has Done To Their Brethren Egyptian liberal Dalia Ziada criticized the Egyptian media for mobilizing in support of Iran, "the greatest enemy of the Arabs," just because Israel is the one fighting against it, and claimed that this media ignores Iran's crimes and the damages it has caused to Arab countries, among them to Egypt itself. She posted on X, in Arabic and in English: Egyptian liberal Dalia Ziada wrote in Arabic and English: "The animosity toward Israel has so thoroughly consumed the Egyptian perspective that it has obscured reason and clouded judgment. The Egyptian media, state-affiliated digital platforms, social media trolls, and much of the Egyptian public have expressed a strikingly disproportionate alignment with Iran! An alignment that defies logic when viewed against the backdrop of Iran's long-standing hostility toward Egypt. "It is worth recalling that Iran, since 1981, honored the assassin of the Egyptian President Anwar Sadat by naming a major street in Tehran after him; a move that stood uncorrected for over four decades. Only two days before the recent conflict between Israel and Iran erupted, this affront was quietly reversed following the Iranian Foreign Minister's strange visit to Cairo last month, where he shared a symbolic meal of koshary downtown Cairo, and engaged with senior officials, including three former Egyptian foreign ministers among them was Amr Moussa, the most prominent Arab diplomat of his era (and the one guilty of originating the diplomatic hostile rhetoric against Israel that Egyptians and most Arabs still use until today)! "Equally troubling is the role of the Iran-backed #Houthi militia, whose repeated assaults on shipping in the Red Sea have inflicted substantial economic harm on Egypt. These disruptions have significantly diminished revenues from the Suez Canal, a critical artery of Egypt's economy and a vital source of dollars and national income. It is also worth remembering the death and displacement inflicted by Iran's militias and proxies upon your fellow Arabs across #Iraq, #Syria, #Lebanon, #Yemen, and beyond. You, the Egyptian people, rose in protest and grief for #Gaza. Yet, not once have you raised your voice against Iran's brutal actions in these other Arab lands. Why? Because it is Iran, not Israel, that is killing your Arab brothers and sisters. So, it is acceptable!! Hatred - hatred of Israel and the Jews - has blinded your eyes and hearts and closed your minds to the point that you have decided to stand in solidarity with the worst enemy of the Arabs (the Iranian regime) simply because the one fighting them is Israel! Shame on You! Wake up, Egyptians. "[20]
Memri
2 hours ago
- Memri
Baloch Support For Israel's Preemptive Strike Against The Ayatollah's Regime
On June 15, 2025, the secular Free Balochistan Movement (FBM), headed by the renowned Baloch leader Hyrbyair Marri, published a statement on Israel's preemptive strike against Iran. In the statement, the FBM stressed: "The way in which Israel is resisting the Iranian state's expansionism and terrorism is commendable. It is a clear fact that Israel is not an enemy of the Baloch nation. On the contrary, extremist, and fundamentalist states like Iran and Pakistan are common enemies of both Israel and the Baloch people." It then added: "The Baloch nation is fighting a battle for survival against these very states, and Israel's decisive military actions against the Iranian regime are not only encouraging but also represent a positive sign for the Baloch people, who have long suffered under Iranian colonialism."[1] Baloch activist holding the flags of Balochistan and of Israel Baloch Scholar Warns Against The Manipulation Of Public Sentiment Through Religious Rhetoric By The Ayatollah's Regime In addition, a prominent Sunni scholar in Iranian-occupied Balochistan, Maulana Abdul Ghaffar Naqshbandi, has strongly criticized attempts to portray the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel as war between Islam and unbelievers, calling such narratives misleading and dangerous.[2] In a public statement shared on the social media platform X, Maulana Naqshbandi declared that the Iran-Israel conflict has no connection to Islam, and warned religious scholars and the broader Sunni community against falling for sectarian propaganda. "Labelling this geopolitical conflict as a war between Islam and Kufr [unbelief] is a complete distortion of reality," he wrote. "This narrative misguides the masses and has no basis in Islamic teachings." The Baloch cleric, who is known for his vocal opposition to Tehran's sectarian policies and support for human rights in Balochistan, cautioned the Baloch people to be wary of efforts to manipulate public sentiment through religious rhetoric. Maulana Naqshbandi went on to criticize Iran's clerical regime, stating that it is now suffering the consequences of its own long-standing policies of fostering extremist groups. "The very forces the Iranian regime empowered for years are now contributing to regional instability and backfiring," he said. He then condemned the regime's use of sectarian emotions to divert attention from its failures.
Memri
2 hours ago
- Memri
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei: Iranians Will Never Surrender – Trump's Demands Are 'Vulgar and Unacceptable'; If the U.S. Enters the War, It Will Suffer Greater Harm Than Iran
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in an address aired on IRINN TV (Iran) on June 18, 2025, that the Iranian nation stands firm in the face of both an imposed war and an imposed peace and it will not yield to anyone's coercion. He stated that 'the Zionist enemy' had made a grave mistake and committed a major crime, and it must be punished. Khamenei criticized President Trump for threatening Iran in what he described as vulgar and unacceptable language, demanding that the Iranian people surrender. Khamenei said that threats have no effect on the Iranian people, who are not a nation that surrenders, and they will never surrender to anyone. He warned that if the United States enters the conflict militarily, it will suffer greater harm than Iran, and its losses will be irreparable.
