Iran state TV says an Iranian navy helicopter confronted a US destroyer in the Gulf of Oman
The incident was the first direct encounter reported between Iranian and U.S. forces since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel , during which U.S. B-52 bombers targeted Iranian nuclear facilities.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Pentagon accepts 'unconditional donation' of Qatari jet, agreement says: Sources
The Trump administration has accepted the 'unconditional donation' of a luxury jet from Qatar, with no stipulation on what should happen to the aircraft after President Donald Trump leaves office, according to an agreement reviewed by ABC News. The memorandum of understanding, or MOU, was signed earlier this month by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Qatar's Minister of State for Defense Affairs, Soud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. The deal paves the way for the Air Force to begin the process of retrofitting the plane -- dubbed a 'flying palace' because of its luxurious finishes -- for the president's use. MORE: Pentagon accepts luxury jet from Qatar to use as Air Force One Sources told ABC News earlier this year that after the president left office, the plan called for transferring ownership of the plane to the Trump presidential library foundation. The cost of refurbishing the plane is classified, although lawmakers have speculated that it could cost as much as $1 billion. The Air Force referred questions on the deal to Hegseth's office, which referred a reporter back to the Air Force. 'Why would we ask the American taxpayer to spend upwards of $1 billion on a plane that would then only be used for a handful of months and then transfer directly to the president? That doesn't sound like a wise use of taxpayer dollars,' said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-N.Y., during a Senate hearing in June. MORE: Qatar's luxury jet donation poses significant security risks, experts say Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told lawmakers that the money to refurbish the jet would be pulled from a program intended to replace aging nuclear missiles, called the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program. But Meink said the Sentinel nuclear program, which is over budget, wouldn't be immediately impacted because it was being restructured. Trump has long complained about the primary aircraft used in the current Air Force One fleet, which are Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets that have been operational since 1990. The Air Force is under contract with Boeing to replace those aircraft. 'The aircraft is donated in its current condition ('as is'), without any guarantees or warranties, unless otherwise agreed upon in future arrangements,' the new memo states. 'The donation is unconditional, and the aircraft may be used or disposed of by the DOD in its sole discretion, in any manner it deems appropriate, so long as such use or disposal remains in accordance with United States laws,' the memo later adds. Nothing in the agreement should be 'interpreted or construed' as 'an offer, promise, or acceptance of any form of bribery, undue influence, or corrupt practice,' the memo adds, calling it a 'bona fide gift.' The Washington Post first reported the details of the agreement.
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Where is the Israel-Gaza conflict headed next? Three writers discuss.
The path out of this terrible conflict has been clear for some time. Let us hope it is taken soon. You're reading the Prompt 2025 newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox. After nearly 22 months, the war between Israel and Hamas shows little sign of ending. U.S.-brokered ceasefire talks in Doha, Qatar, collapsed on Thursday amid credible reports of widespread starvation across Gaza. And on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing immense international pressure, ordered a pause in fighting in parts of the territory, allowing for aid to start dribbling in. Where is this conflict headed next? I'm joined by my colleagues Max Boot and Shadi Hamid to discuss. — Damir Marusic, assignment editor Story continues below advertisement Advertisement 💬 💬 💬 Damir Marusic Israel seems to have — temporarily — relented in its siege of Gaza. Do you think this can be extended into a more durable pause in the fighting? Shadi Hamid I don't think there's much reason to be optimistic unless the U.S. decides to put real pressure on Israel to change course. This resumption in aid is too little, too late. The way starvation works is that it can't easily be reversed. Organ damage sets in, and the body can no longer absorb water and nutrients. The hope, I suppose, is that President Donald Trump will have a change of heart; he commented on the pictures of starving Palestinian children on Monday. As for a ceasefire, it's the same problem as before: Netanyahu's incentives run in the direction of more war. By July 2024, Israeli military officials had determined that key military objectives had been met and that continuing the war was no longer necessary. But Netanyahu continued because he didn't want his far-right coalition to collapse. Max Boot I'll be pleasantly surprised if Trump puts real pressure on Netanyahu, but I wouldn't bet a lot of cryptocurrency on it. But you never know. Trump made clear his displeasure with the starvation in Gaza. Trump is nothing if not unpredictable, and it's not as if he and Netanyahu are close buddies. Theirs is a relationship of convenience. Shadi That's the problem: We're in the position of banking hopes on Trump's whims, which is never a good place to be. But I don't know what the alternative is. We've learned repeatedly throughout all of this that the U.S. is the only country that has decisive leverage with Israel, but it is also the country that never seems willing to use that leverage. Max I'm not more optimistic, because the basic dynamics haven't changed: Netanyahu relies on hard-right cabinet ministers to stay in power, and they demand unrelenting war in Gaza, no matter the human cost. Netanyahu outmaneuvered Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir (the two leading extremists) by convening the cabinet on a Saturday, the Sabbath. What Netanyahu ordered was not a complete cessation of military operations, so it doesn't seem like the prelude to a larger ceasefire. His prime imperative in waging the war now appears to be to stay in power. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement Damir I was struck by an Israeli poll this month reporting that a majority of Israelis are ready for a single-phase deal with Hamas — the remaining hostages in exchange for an end to the Gaza war — as opposed to Netanyahu's proposal to trade hostages for a less restrictive ceasefire. Max It's been true for a while that most Israelis are willing to end the war in exchange for the remaining hostages. But Netanyahu continues to pursue the (probably chimerical) goal of trying to completely eradicate Hamas without offering any postwar plan to maintain security in Gaza during rebuilding. This is a version of the same problem we have in U.S. politics: Trump and the Republicans pursue many policies that are unpopular with most voters (e.g., indiscriminate deportations and the One Big Beautiful Bill) because they are popular with the GOP's base. The same is true in Israel: Netanyahu is pursuing policies unpopular with most Israelis but popular with the right-wing base whose support he needs to stay in power — and possibly out of jail, too. Shadi I think that's right, but only up to a point. Multiple polls now show that the Israeli public — and not just the right — has been very hawkish, with a majority of Israeli Jews supporting the mass expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza. Damir Can you envision a scenario in which Netanyahu manages to find a way to stay in power and end the war? Because it seems to me that's the most likely way for this to end. Max Keep in mind that Israel will have to hold an election next year at the latest, and Netanyahu currently heads a minority government (after two ultra-Orthodox parties left his coalition). Netanyahu is nothing if not a survivor, so it's possible he could decide to make a deal with the centrist parties. Then he would no longer be reliant on the ultraright, and there would be no political obstacle to ending the war. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement Damir As for Hamas, there seems to be no amount of pressure that would compel it to accept defeat. So that path to ending the hostilities seems unlikely, right? Max Hamas is a death cult, so you can't expect it to surrender. It will fight to the last Palestinian. But that doesn't absolve Israel of its responsibility to abide by the laws of war, which it is currently violating in Gaza with its infliction of indiscriminate suffering on the civilian population, which is effectively held hostage by Hamas. Damir Max, I've long wondered whether Israel's aims of permanently destroying Hamas are unrealistic — that Hamas has a kind of organic legitimacy in the Palestinian movement that is only being strengthened by the horrors of the war. Is there a world in which Hamas could be supplanted by some other kind of governing authority in Gaza? Or will it always remain in power in some way? Max Hamas remains a formidable force in Gaza because there is no Palestinian state. It is very much in the interest of Israel (as well as the U.S., the E.U., the Arab world, etc.) to try to create an alternative to Hamas, which has been losing support among Palestinians. The alternative has been on the table for a long time: cobble together an Arab peacekeeping force, create an international reconstruction fund and provide a role for the Palestinian Authority in governing Gaza. It's not ideal; the PA is notoriously weak and corrupt. Shadi Yes, the aim of completely eradicating Hamas is unrealistic. The Israeli government has never outlined how exactly that would work or what it even means to 'eradicate' it. You can't kill everyone who has even the slightest association with Hamas. Well, I guess you can — but it would require an endless war and the continuation of what I've argued should be rightly called a 'genocide.' My hope is that Israel's defenders will come to see how all of this is putting a permanent moral stain on a state that they believe in and are committed to, and that they will start to raise the alarm that they can't abide by this continuing. Max I agree with Shadi. As a longtime supporter of Israel, and one who believes that its decision to invade Gaza after being attacked was fully justified, I am appalled by its current actions in Gaza. Damir Gentlemen, I hate to end it like this, but it feels appropriate to not try to conjure up anything much more hopeful than the dire circumstances suggest is possible. There's a path out, and it has been clear for a while what that is. Let us hope it is taken soon.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Iran more than doubles state executions in first half of 2025
Iran more than doubled the number of state executions it has carried out this year compared to data from the first half of 2024, confirmed the United Nations on Monday. The UN Human Rights Office said that at least 612 people have been executed this year alone, a figure more than double the 297 people who were killed during the same time period last year. Minority groups continue to make up a disproportionate number of those being killed by Tehran, confirmed the U.N. Iran Ramps Up State Executions Amid Nuclear Talks With Us "It is alarming to see the reports that indicate there are at least 48 people currently on death row – 12 of whom are believed to be at imminent risk of execution," U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said on Monday. The news of the drastically increased number of state executions comes just one day after Tehran killed Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani on Sunday, both of whom were allegedly involved with the opposition movement known as the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK). Read On The Fox News App Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, a dissident group based in Paris led by the MEK, took to X to condemn the killings, and quoted the final words of Behrouz Ehsani: "We will never—under any circumstances—surrender to this bloodthirsty and criminal regime. Never shall we bow to humiliation." According to Amnesty International, "[both] were executed arbitrarily amid Iran's horrific execution crisis." "Their executions highlight the authorities' use of the death penalty as a tool of repression in times of national crisis to crush dissent and spread fear," the group added. More than 40% of those executed this year were convicted on drug-related offenses, while the U.N. also found that many were not only tried behind closed doors, but were issued vague charges like "enmity against God" and "corruption on earth" — both of which are apparently used by the regime to "silence dissent." "Information received by my Office also indicates that judicial proceedings in a number of cases, often held behind closed doors, have consistently failed to meet due process and fair trial guarantees," Türk said in a statement. Iran Executes Over 1K Prisoners In 2024, Highest Total In 30 Years, Report Says The number of state executions has drastically escalated since President Massoud Pezeshkian took office in July 2024, with at least 975 people killed in 2024, the highest rate since 2015. The U.N. body further warned that Iran is looking to expand its use of the death penalty and is reviewing a new espionage bill that will redefine what it considers "collaboration with hostile States." Acts including online communication and collaborating with the foreign media will apparently call into question their "ideological alignment" and will be punishable by death. The changes come as Israel has called for a regime change in Tehran, and has repeatedly emphasized that the recent strikes were an attack against the government, not the Iranian people. "This bill dangerously broadens the scope of capital punishment for espionage, and I call for it to be rescinded," Türk said. "The death penalty is incompatible with the right to life and irreconcilable with human dignity. "Instead of accelerating executions, I urge Iran join the worldwide movement abolishing capital punishment, starting with a moratorium on all executions," he article source: Iran more than doubles state executions in first half of 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
