
Iran Confirms Senior IRGC Commander Killed in Israeli Strikes
The military's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which Shadmani led, vowed 'severe revenge' for what it called the 'criminal act' by Israeli forces, announcing the commander had died from injuries sustained in the attack, according to the IRNA state news agency.
The Israeli military said on June 17 that it had killed Shadmani in a strike on a 'command center in the heart of Tehran.'
Israel described him as 'the most senior military commander' and 'the closest figure to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.'
The confirmation of his death came a day after a US-announced ceasefire ended 12 days of open conflict between Israel and Iran.
Shadmani died just days after he took over the role from Gholam-Ali Rashid, who was killed in the first days of Israel's attacks.
On June 13, Israel launched a major bombing campaign targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and senior military figures.
The United States joined the operation later with strikes on the Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites.
Iran responded with waves of missile attacks on Israel and one targeting a US base in Qatar. President Donald Trump later called for de-escalation and announced a ceasefire that took effect on Tuesday.
The war killed 627 civilians in Iran and 28 people in Israel, according to official figures.
Iran will hold on Saturday state funerals for senior military commanders, including Shadmani, and top scientists killed during the war with Israel.
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L'Orient-Le Jour
9 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Barrack: ‘Everyone is moving in the right direction,' urges Israeli reciprocal steps
The visit of U.S. envoys Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus to Beirut centered on three main points. The first was to show support for the Lebanese state following its decision to restore the monopoly on arms, adopt the American roadmap and review the proposed implementation mechanism. The second involved discussions on renewing the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), with Ortagus playing a direct role through her position at the U.S. mission to the United Nations. The third focused on ways to pressure Israel into taking measures corresponding to the "first step" already taken by Lebanon, referring to the Cabinet decision on arms monopoly. Based on his statements after the meetings, Barrack appeared relatively satisfied and delivered a clear message on the need for Israel to respect the clauses of the agreement and begin implementing measures, noting that Lebanon had accepted them and would proceed accordingly. "The Lebanese government has done their part. They've taken the first step," he said after meeting President Joseph Aoun. "Now what we need is Israel to comply with an equal handshake." Asked about the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon and an end to "violations" of the agreement, Barrack replied: 'That is exactly the next step.' The envoy added that in the coming weeks there will be "progress on all sides," stressing that such steps would mean "a better life for the people" in the region. Barrack presented the U.S. proposal of the "step-by-step" principle in implementing the cease-fire proposal, while Lebanon had originally pushed for "simultaneous steps." Under the adopted arrangement, Lebanon began with the first move via the Cabinet decision, which Barrack highlighted as a signal that Israel must now respond with a corresponding measure. The key at Ain al-Tineh Perhaps the most telling phrase came after Barrack's meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri: "Everyone is moving in the right direction, and everyone will benefit from economic improvement." At Baabda Presidential Palace, Barrack said in the same context that "When we talk about the disarmament of Hezbollah. The purpose of that is actually for the Shiites." In other words, he alluded to Israel's withdrawal, an end to strikes and assassinations, and the start of reconstruction and investment in Lebanon, which he argued would positively affect all Lebanese. During his meeting with Barrack, Berri reiterated the agreement reached between them: Israel must undertake serious measures so that the process of consolidating the state's monopoly on arms can move forward. That position was echoed by Lebanon's president, prime minister and parliament speaker, who emphasized the importance of pressuring Israel to end its attacks and begin at least a gradual withdrawal from occupied territories, in parallel with steps taken by Lebanon. In the context, President Aoun told the envoys that "what is necessary today is for the other parties to commit to respecting the contents" of the cease-fire agreement. He also called on the international community, particularly Washington and Paris, to "further support the Lebanese Army and to speed up the necessary measures at the international level to launch the reconstruction process in areas affected by Israeli attacks." Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, meeting Barrack at the Grand Serail, stressed that the Trump administration must now "take responsibility by pressuring Israel to stop its attacks, withdraw from the five points [still occupied in southern Lebanon], and release Lebanese prisoners." He said government decisions had been made in the "national interest" and underscored the priority of strengthening the army "financially and materially" so it could fulfill its mission. Still, the phrase Barrack delivered at Ain al-Tineh remains central, showing a certain convergence with the parliament speaker, who ultimately represents Hezbollah in the negotiations. His statement followed Berri's own remark that "no one in Lebanon wants civil war," an implicit but clear response to comments by Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem. Barrack's position, combined with Berri's, aligns with diplomatic indications that within Hezbollah, some are now convinced of the need to move toward a state monopoly on arms. Hezbollah aware, but waiting on Iran According to diplomatic sources, Hezbollah is now raising its rhetoric to secure maximum concessions, aware that its arsenal is on the table in negotiations. The same sources suggest the group could be willing to discuss the matter if its weapons are integrated into state power, potentially becoming part of the Lebanese Army's command structure. But this idea has yet to appear in Hezbollah's official discourse, particularly since Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, visited Beirut. That visit underscored the broader context of U.S.-Iranian negotiations at both regional and international levels. As for the outcome of Barrack's visit, sources close to the talks said he urged Lebanon to continue implementing the government's plan and assured officials he would seek a clear response from Israel regarding its commitment to the agreed measures. He pledged to return to Lebanon at the end of the month, once the army's plan is finalized and presented to the Cabinet. According to information obtained, Barrack's questions focused on concrete steps the army needed to take. In return, Lebanese officials pressed him to secure pressure on Israel to respect its commitments and called for U.S. support in obtaining aid for the army as well as organizing a conference to mobilize funds for reconstruction.


L'Orient-Le Jour
9 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Legal experts eye UN General Assembly action on Gaza
The U.N. General Assembly must be empowered to urgently intervene in Gaza and send a protective military force to help its devastated population, the non-government Gaza Tribunal project said Monday. The body, which groups international academics, rights advocates and legal experts, was set up in London in 2024, aiming to mobilize public opinion and pressure governments "to end the genocide" in Gaza. Addressing a news conference in Istanbul, its leader Richard Falk, a former U.N. rapporteur for Palestinian rights, said the tribunal called on governments to act before it was "too late." The aim was "the empowerment of the U.N. General Assembly to organise a protective, armed intervention in Gaza to overcome the disruption of humanitarian aid and the continuing devastation and destruction of the people," said the 94-year-old American emeritus law professor. Since the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, Gaza has been hit by a huge Israeli military onslaught that aid agencies say has caused a dire humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory. "We urge governments around the world to take immediate steps to empower the veto-free U.N. General Assembly that ... so far has been frustrated in its attempts to end the Gaza genocide," the group said in a statement. Israel has repeatedly denied that there is any genocide in Gaza or that it blocks humanitarian aid. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that calls to end the war "harden" the Hamas resolve to fight the war. Falk said the move could be established through policy instruments like the 1950 "United for Peace" resolution or the more recent "Responsibility to Protect" (R2P) doctrine. The first lets the U.N. General Assembly act when the Security Council fails to maintain international peace and security. It was adopted at U.S. urging in the early stages of the 1950-53 Korean War to sidestep a systematic Soviet Security Council veto. The R2P was passed in 2005, aiming to prevent a repeat of the horrors of the 1994 Rwanda genocide and the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia. "If we do not take action of a serious and drastic kind at this time, [it] will be too late to save the surviving people," said Falk, who worked for decades on Palestinian rights and was repeatedly denounced for his harsh stance on Israel. He said the Gaza Tribunal hoped to have the issue added to the agenda of next month's U.N. General Assembly in New York. World powers are deeply divided over whether military intervention to halt atrocities is justified, with critics seeing it as a smokescreen for meddling in other nations' internal affairs. Amnesty International on Monday accused Israel of enacting a "deliberate policy" of starvation in Gaza, a charge Israel has repeatedly rejected. The 2023 Hamas attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's offensive has killed more than 61,944 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from Gaza's health ministry, which the U.N. deems reliable.


L'Orient-Le Jour
9 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Criticized at protest in Sweida, Joumblatt supported by Druze figures in Lebanon
From Sheikh Akl, Sami Abi al-Mona, to MP Wael Bou Faour, to the Union of the Municipalities of Haut-Metn (Baabda District), a front of support has formed around Druze leader Walid Joumblatt, who was targeted by comments on social media and criticized during a protest organized Saturday in the majority-Druze Syrian province of Sweida to denounce the intercommunal violence in July and demand self-determination. According to the Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar, protesters allegedly called the Lebanese Druze leader a "traitor" during a gathering on Aug. 16. Located in southern Syria, Sweida has been the scene of deadly clashes between Druze factions and Sunni Bedouin fighters, who were allegedly supported by government forces, according to several accounts and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). According to the SOHR, the violence left about 1,600 dead, mostly Druze civilians. The first Lebanese political leader to travel to Damascus to meet the new interim president Ahmadal-Sharaa after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, Walid Joumblatt has always advocated for dialogue between all Syrian groups, and continues to show his support for the new Islamist authorities, rejecting any rapprochement with Israel, which claims to extend a hand to the Syrian Druze. These positions irritate some Syrian Druze circles who oppose the new authorities and call for cooperation with Israel. Within the Lebanese Druze community, Joumblatt's positions do not have unanimous support. Israeli flags in Sweida On Saturday, some Syrian protesters held up Druze as well as Israeli flags, as the Israeli state, which hosts a significant Druze community, had bombed government positions during the clashes, asserting its intention to protect the minority. Contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour, a source within the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) emphasized that the Mukhtara leader has always opposed "the Israeli project of interference within the Druze community of Sweida." A sign of the tensions, a video that had been posted online in December 2024, in which the former PSP chief called on the Druze "to return to Islam, their origin," resurfaced last weekend on social networks, sparking a series of hostile comments against Joumblatt, some going so far as to label him a "traitor ...Why are you meddling in the affairs of the Druze? Your game is over, and your speeches about plots no longer scare anyone. The only and final plot against the Druze is you," protested one internet user. "Walid Joumblatt the traitor: Expect him to accuse of treason everyone who broke the silence and stood up to him," added another. Joumblatt "is a threat to the Druze of Lebanon. He is now exposed and has fallen morally, politically, and as a leader. His role is finished ... don't try to save him," said another user on the X network. 'Those who dared attack Walid Joumblatt are only a minority' In response, Druze Sheikh Akl in Lebanon, Sami Abi al-Mona, known to be close to Joumblatt, explained Sunday in a statement picked up by the press that "our positions are far from betraying our history and our identity." He believes that "the religious, national and pan-Arab duty requires the wise of Sweida to oppose the project aiming to uproot the Arab and Islamic identity of the Druze," referring to the Israeli positions. However, for the Druze dignitary, "the new [Syrian] State has not proven its ability to protect its people and preserve its diversity." He concluded: "Jabal al-Arab [the Druze region in the Sweida province in Syria], like Mount Lebanon, is rich in its history and national heritage, and will accept as religion only Islam." Coming to Joumblatt's defense, the Union of the Municipalities of Haut-Metn denounced a "defamation campaign orchestrated by certain opportunists ... to promote projects of separation and isolation." It considers that the Druze leader's stance follows "the continuity of the Druze community's historical Arab and Islamic attachment. The Druze have never been anyone's border guards." As for Joumblattist MP Wael Bou Faour, he claims that "those who dared attack Walid Joumblatt ... are only a minority who sold their voices, wrapped themselves in the Israeli flag and renounced the mountain's historical heritage."