Iran says it strongly supports Syria's sovereignty amid Israeli escalation
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei (picture) made the remarks in a post on X, accusing the European Union of misrepresenting Israel's actions by referring to them merely as 'escalating strikes on Syrian territory.'
'By (mis) characterising Israel's blatant act of aggression… the EU disclaims even the pretence of moral integrity,' he wrote, calling the statement 'gaslighting at its finest' and accusing the bloc of dressing 'complicity' up as 'diplomacy.'
Baghaei said Iran, with its long-standing record of opposing aggression and lawlessness, 'rejects selective indignation and double standards.'
'As always, we stand by the Syrian people and support Syria's national sovereignty and territorial integrity loud and clear,' he added.
The statement came amid rising tensions in southern Syria's Suwayda province, where deadly clashes erupted last Sunday between armed Druze and Bedouin groups, prompting intervention by regime forces.
Israel, under the pretext of protecting Druze communities, intensified its attacks across Syria, launching airstrikes on four provinces, including strikes on the General Staff headquarters and presidential palace in Damascus on Wednesday.
On Thursday night, the Syrian presidency announced a new agreement mediated by Arab and American parties. Under the deal, regime troops began withdrawing from Suwayda to de-escalate tensions. — BERNAMA-ANADOLU
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Barnama
33 minutes ago
- Barnama
Malaysia Urges Palestine Recognition, Full UN Membership
A High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution at U.N headquarters in New York City, US, July 29, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has called on all nations to urgently recognise the State of Palestine and support its full membership in the United Nations (UN), stressing at a landmark UN meeting on Palestine that such recognition is vital to safeguarding the two-state solution. Malaysia's Permanent Representative to the UN Datuk Dr Ahmad Faisal Muhamad, speaking at the UN High-Level Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine on Wednesday, said Malaysia commended countries that have made the bold decision to recognise the State of Palestine, and urged others that have not to do so urgently. "The recognition of the State of Palestine is a crucial step to protect the two-state solution,' he said. bootstrap slideshow Ahmad Faisal drove home the point that the two-state solution is, and remains, the only internationally recognised solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 'It is totally unacceptable that 78 years since the adoption of General Assembly Resolution 181, only one of the two states has enjoyed independence and full membership to the UN, while the other – the State of Palestine – continues to be denied its independence and full membership of the UN,' he said. He said that for more than seven decades, Palestinians have been systematically dispossessed of their rights, land, property and dignity through Israel's illegal and brutal occupation. 'It is time to end this historic and gross injustice,' he said. Ahmad Faisal said a fully sovereign and independent State of Palestine can only be meaningful if its authorities are able to exercise full control over its territories and natural resources, and thrive economically. He said Malaysia supports a UN-mandated transition plan, with the concurrence of the State of Palestine, in the form of a peacekeeping operation, a stabilisation mission or a protection mission.
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Mideast studies in US in crossfire of Trump-Harvard fight
THE issue of academic research on the Middle East has become a political flashpoint in the United States, where critics of Israel allege a "Palestine exception" exists when it comes to free speech rights. Case in point, recently a special edition of the prestigious Harvard Educational Review (HER) was in the works, entirely dedicated to the hot-button issue of the Palestinians – the articles had been painstakingly written, edited and approved. But authors said they received an unusual demand for a final readout by lawyers, which soon derailed their efforts. The publisher's stunning late-stage decision to scrap the entire edition reflects the overheated political climate in the US where academic research on the Middle East has attracted accusations of so-called "wokeism" and "anti-Semitism" from President Donald Trump, as conflict rages in the region. The edition began taking shape when, in March 2024 – six months after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel and the Israeli reprisals in the Gaza Strip – the renowned Harvard publication called for papers for a special issue on "Education and Palestine." Anthropologist Thea Abu El-Haj and her colleagues submitted a paper on "scholasticide," a term describing the destruction of an education system, like in Gaza, with reference to the experience of Palestinian teachers during the Lebanese Civil War between 1975 and 1990. But then the authors received phone calls informing them that the text would have to be submitted to Harvard's Office of the General Counsel for a "risk assessment." "I have been publishing for decades in academic journals – including HER twice –and I have never been asked for this kind of review," said El-Haj, a professor at Columbia University's Barnard College. After the authors objected to "censorship," the director of Harvard Education Press Jessica Fiorillo, told the authors the special issue had been cancelled in its entirety. Fiorillo denied "censorship" in a memo to the authors, seen by AFP, blaming inadequate review because the editors insisted on limiting the publisher's involvement to copyediting – without touching the "politically charged content." "The only explanation that makes sense to me is that this is another instance of what has been called the 'Palestine exception' to free speech," said El-Haj, accusing Harvard of not upholding free speech while proclaiming to champion it amid its fight with Trump. Since returning to power, Trump has accused prestigious US universities of anti-Semitism for failing to protect Jewish students during protests against Israel's war in Gaza. In an escalating war of attrition against Harvard, Trump sought to cut more than US$2.6 billion of funding to the Ivy League university, while seeking to block entry of international students – a quarter of its enrolment. Harvard said it had strengthened measures to protect Jewish and Israeli students while fighting the government's measures in court. "The chilling climate for scholarly inquiry about Palestine at Harvard (and beyond) has been difficult for some time. Faculty, staff, and students have understandably felt a generalised cloud of fear and anxiety," Margaret Litvin, an Arabic literature professor at Boston University, told AFP. At the start of the year, Harvard also adopted a definition of anti-Semitism used by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). That definition is contested, however, as critics argue it may prevent criticism of Israel. That distinction appears to be at the heart of the furor over the "education and Palestine" edition of the HER, said Chandni Desai, a University of Toronto professor, who was supposed to pen an article for the journal. Harvard University did not comment. The submitted articles would "likely fail" to have passed the IHRA definition test because "all the pieces are critical of Israel," Desai said. "We've never seen an entire special issue collection being cancelled – especially after... contracts have been signed and reviews and revisions done."
Barnama
2 hours ago
- Barnama
Myanmar Junta Ends State of Emergency, Sets December Elections
ISTANBUL, July 31 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- The military junta in Myanmar on Thursday announced the formation of a new body to organise general elections later this year, effectively ending the state of emergency, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported according to state media. Junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing also appointed himself as acting president and issued a decree dissolving the National Defence and Security Council. The Southeast Asian nation has been under military rule since February 2021. bootstrap slideshow The council had been established following the coup that overthrew the elected government led by the National League for Democracy. Since then, Myanmar has remained under a state of emergency for four years. With the creation of a new National Security and Peace Commission -- led by Min Aung Hlaing -- the state of emergency has effectively come to an end, according to the junta. He also announced the formation of a new government, to be led by U Nyo Saw, a close ally of the junta chief. 'The upcoming election will be held this December, and efforts will be made to enable all eligible voters to cast their ballots,' Min Aung Hlaing said at a ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday. According to the Myanmar Now website, Min Aung Hlaing has officially assumed the role of acting president ahead of the planned elections.
