‘Our hands are on the trigger'
The IDF launched strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites last month, killing senior commanders and nuclear scientists. Israel claimed the operation was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons – a charge Tehran denied, responding with missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets. The US joined the campaign, striking several Iranian nuclear facilities. The 12-day war ended with a US-brokered ceasefire on June 24. 'If the compensation for the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities is not paid and the Zionist regime is not punished, Iran is ready to take measures to restore its historical deterrence against this regime,' the anonymous source said in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. Addressing Washington's request to resume nuclear talks, the official stated that Tehran had not agreed to a permanent ceasefire and considers negotiations premature. 'The Americans are pursuing the start of negotiations, but Iran… is in a state of temporary cessation of the hostilities,' he said.
Washington has long demanded that Tehran halt all uranium enrichment – a condition Iran rejects as a deal-breaker. The latter insists its nuclear program is peaceful, legal, and under IAEA supervision. It currently enriches uranium to 60% purity, far above the 3.67% cap set under the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal, which was rendered null and void after US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from it during his first term.
Talks were revived earlier this year by Trump, but collapsed in the wake of the attacks on Iran. Tehran has since accused Washington of abandoning diplomacy and turning to force.
The official warned that Iranian forces remain fully prepared to respond to any further aggression, saying: 'Our hands are on the trigger, but in case of any miscalculation by the child-killing regime, this time we will not wait for the enemy to fire the first shot.'
The US should 'contain its proxy force in the region,' he stressed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
Iran could exit key nuclear weapons treaty
Iran could withdraw from a landmark nuclear weapons treaty and increase efforts to enrich uranium if Western European nations reimpose harsh economic sanctions on the country, a senior Iranian lawmaker has warned. Speaking to Tasnim news agency on Saturday, Ebrahim Rezaei, the spokesman for the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, warned the UK, France and Germany of consequences if they activate the so-called snapback provisions stipulated in the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal. Rezaei said the move would force Iran to consider several countermeasures, including withdrawing from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), enriching uranium to over 60% purity, and producing and exporting advanced centrifuge machines. Iran, he added, 'has not fully exploited its capacities so far and may go for multiple other strategic options if necessary.' The NPT aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy. It has been signed by 191 nations, making it one of the most widely adhered-to arms control agreements in history. However, it has never been signed by India, Pakistan, Israel, and South Sudan; North Korea withdrew in 2003. Rezaei's remarks come after France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said earlier this month that Britain, France and Germany have agreed to restore UN sanctions on Iran by the end of August if no meaningful progress is made in talks to curb Tehran's nuclear activities. One of the stumbling blocks has been Iran's decision to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has prevented the monitoring of its nuclear activities. Tehran has accused the IAEA of releasing a biased report, which was allegedly used as a pretense by Israel to launch a 12-day war against the Islamic Republic. Last month, Israel carried out a series of US-supported airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, triggering retaliation from Tehran. The attack came as US-Iran nuclear talks hit an impasse; Washington demanded that Tehran fully abandon uranium enrichment, arguing that the capacity could be used to create a nuclear bomb. Iran has dismissed the demand, saying it needs enrichment to fuel its civilian energy industry while denying any plans to create nuclear weapons.
Russia Today
12 hours ago
- Russia Today
Netanyahu apologizes to Pope for bombing church
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued an apology in a phone call with Pope Leo following an Israeli tank shelling that struck the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, killing three people – including the church's priest – and injuring ten others. The incident occurred on Thursday when an Israeli tank fired a round at the church compound, which was serving as a refuge for hundreds of displaced Palestinians, including children and people with disabilities. The IDF described the shelling as unintentional and said it is reviewing the incident. On Friday, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III were granted unprecedented access to Gaza to tour the damaged church. Netanyahu also personally called Pope Leo to express regret over the 'stray ammunition' incident and to convey 'Israel's heartfelt condolences to the families of those hurt.' PM Netanyahu sent Israel's heartfelt condolences for the families of those hurt in the PM also gave His Holiness an update on Israel's efforts to secure a hostage release deals and a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, efforts that have so far not been reciprocated by Hamas. During the call, Pope Leo reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire and urged protection for places of worship, the faithful, and civilians across Gaza and Israel. Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in October 2023 following a deadly Hamas incursion, in which over 1,200 Israelis were killed and hundreds taken hostage. Since then, the IDF has reportedly killed nearly 57,800 Palestinians, most of them women and children, leading to accusations of genocide against the Israeli leadership. In October 2023, just days after the conflict began, the Israeli army similarly bombed the Church of Saint Porphyrius, killing at least 18 people. A week later, the enclave's third Christian church, the Gaza Baptist Church, was damaged in a deadly strike on al-Ahli Arab Hospital, which Israel blamed on a 'misfired' Palestinian rocket. The Vatican described the situation in Gaza as 'dramatic,' while in Washington, President Donald Trump was reportedly 'upset' by the incident and pressed Netanyahu for clarity. Despite the apology, airstrikes resumed on Friday, with at least 14 more Palestinians reported killed across Gaza.
Russia Today
15 hours ago
- Russia Today
US takes credit for Israel-Syria ceasefire
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syria's interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa have allegedly agreed to a US-supported ceasefire proposal, after Israel carried out multiple airstrikes against the Defense Ministry in Damascus, ostensibly in defense of the Druze minority in southern Syria. Special envoy Tom Barrack, who also serves as the US ambassador to Türkiye, credited American diplomacy under President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for the 'breakthrough' agreement in a statement posted on X on Friday. 'We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and, together with other minorities, build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbors,' Barrack wrote, adding that the ceasefire was 'embraced' by Türkiye and Jordan. BREAKTHROUGH —— Israeli Prime Minister @Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa @SyPresidency supported by the U.S.A. @SecRubio have agreed to a ceasefire embraced by Türkiye, Jordan and its neighbors. We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and… The announcement follows a week of deadly clashes between Druze militias, Bedouin tribes, and central government forces in Sweida province – as well as a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting various locations, including the Defense Ministry in Damascus. Since the fall of Bashar Assad's government, Israel has moved to expand its presence in Syria beyond the previously occupied Golan Heights, citing the need to prevent hostile actors from entrenching near its borders. In a detailed statement on Thursday, Netanyahu said Israel had set two rules for Syria: the demilitarization of the region south of Damascus and the protection of the Druze community. 'Both those rules were broken by the regime in Damascus… I therefore directed the IDF to take powerful action,' Netanyahu stated. 'As a result of that powerful action, a ceasefire came into force, and the Syrian forces retreated back to Damascus.' Syria's new leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, is a former commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which seized control of Damascus last year. Since the upheaval, unaffiliated Islamists have reportedly carried out several massacres targeting Syria's minority communities, including the Alawites and Christians. Amid reports of new atrocities against the Druze, al-Sharaa insisted that government forces had only deployed to Sweida to stop the violence. In a televised address on Thursday, he announced a new deal with Druze factions – while accusing Israel of seeking to divide the Syrian people and turn Syria 'into a battlefield of chaos.' Despite past US designations of HTS and al-Sharaa as terrorists, Washington has increasingly backed the new leadership in Damascus and has moved to ease sanctions on Syria. Last month, Barrack even likened al-Sharaa's transition from militant leader to head of state to that of George Washington following the American Revolution.
