'Erosion of American support for Israel evident for 15 years': American policy expert
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nahar Net
6 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Iran says confronted US destroyer in Gulf of Oman
by Naharnet Newsdesk 24 July 2025, 13:00 Iranian forces warned a U.S. destroyer to stay out of waters claimed by Tehran, state television reported, an interaction a U.S. defense official said was "safe and professional" and did not affect the ship's mission. The exchange in the Gulf of Oman between the two rivals comes a month after the United States carried out strikes against three key Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day war between Israel and the Islamic republic. State TV said an Iranian army helicopter flew over the USS Fitzgerald on Wednesday morning after the vessel "attempted to approach the waters under the supervision" of Iran. The destroyer issued threats of its own, the broadcaster said, but "the Iranian pilot... reiterated the warning to stay away from Iranian waters", forcing the US vessel to "give in" and alter its course. In a video released by Iranian state TV, a destroyer is seen from what seems to be a helicopter window as the pilot calls on the vessel to "change course" and avoid approaching Iranian territorial waters. A U.S. defense official said the American ship "had a safe and professional interaction with an Iranian SH-3 'Sea King' helicopter while operating in international waters". "This interaction had no impact to USS Fitzgerald's mission and any reports claiming otherwise are falsehoods", the official added. Iranian forces have a history of confronting US forces in bodies of water off the country's southern coast. In 2023, Tehran said it forced a US submarine to surface while crossing the strategic Strait of Hormuz -- a claim Washington denied.
L'Orient-Le Jour
19 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Iran blames Israel amid wave of fires and explosions
Over the past two weeks, an unusual wave of seemingly random fires and explosions across Iran has reignited speculation about possible Israeli involvement, reports the New York Times. These incidents, occurring almost daily, have damaged various infrastructures ranging from major oil refineries to residential buildings and even a highway near a large airport. Three Iranian officials, including a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, told the NYT they believe these events are acts of sabotage directly orchestrated by Israel. A European official corroborated this assessment, believing recent developments fit Israel's methods of psychological warfare and strategic targeting. These suspicions were based in particular on Israel's well-established habit of carrying out covert operations on Iranian soil: explosions, targeted assassinations of scientists and military personnel, and sabotage of nuclear facilities. Last June, the director of the Mossad, Israel's external intelligence agency, said that "we [Israelis] will be there, as we always have been," suggesting operations would continue in Iran even after the 12-day war ended. The debris left by a recent explosion in a residential building in Qom was so widespread that no building in the adjacent block was spared. According to Iranian officials cited by the American newspaper, an apartment had been rented by agents who deliberately caused the blast by turning on the gas appliances before leaving. Another reported target was a complex housing judiciary employees. Authorities say this attack was likely intended to intimidate the judges and prosecutors living there, a direct message that they too could become targets — a tactic similar to those Israel is believed to have used in the past against Iranian scientists. Iranian authorities, however, continue to downplay the significance of these events. Most of the fires are said to be due to domestic accidents, mainly gas leaks. Tehran's fire and safety services chief, Ghodratollah Mohammadi, cited "equipment wear and tear," the use of "poor-quality gas appliances," and "failure to follow safety rules" as explanations for the incidents. This is one among several attempts by authorities to prevent panic among the population, in a context of heightened military fragility since the recent war. 'Mysterious' death of an Iranian general Despite these communication efforts, the increase in explosions is fueling growing anxiety. Omid Memarian, a researcher at a Washington-based foreign policy think tank, said that "the Iranian government's history of cover-ups and lack of transparency has only compounded public fear and mistrust." These incidents come as suspicion remains high following the mysterious death of General Gholamhossein Gheybparvar, a senior commander in the IRGC. Officially, his death was attributed to the deterioration of old injuries. This event only deepened public distrust. Conservative political leader Mahdi Mohammadi echoed this warning, saying: "We are not even in a cease-fire: we are living in a fragile suspension, which could shatter at any moment and plunge us back into war." Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian said Wednesday in an interview with Al Jazeera that his country is "fully prepared for any new Israeli military offensive."
MTV Lebanon
a day ago
- MTV Lebanon
Republicans seek to rename opera house after US First Lady Melania Trump
Republicans in the US House of Representatives sought Tuesday to rename the opera house in Washington's John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after First Lady Melania Trump. The Republican-led House Appropriations Committee voted to advance language that would condition funding for Washington's premier cultural institution on the name change as it debated the 2026 budget. Idaho congressman Mike Simpson, who introduced an amendment to call the venue the 'First Lady Melania Trump Opera House,' said it was an 'excellent way to recognize her support and commitment to promoting the arts.' The move marked the latest front in President Donald Trump's hostile takeover of the Kennedy Center, after he fired board members in February and appointed himself chairman, and replaced its longtime president with ally Richard Grenell. Trump, who accused the institution of being too 'woke,' also picked White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino and Second Lady Usha Vance to serve as trustees. The president was met with cheers and boos at the center in June as he attended an opening night performance of hit musical 'Les Miserables.' Republicans have been keen to flatter Trump and help the president cement his legacy in his second term, including by introducing legislation to rename the capital region's Dulles International Airport after him. There have also been efforts in Congress to replace Benjamin Franklin with Trump on the $100 bill, to carve Trump's likeness on the iconic Mount Rushmore, to name a national holiday after him and to reimagine Washington's Metro train service as the Trump Train. The Kennedy Center change was added to legislation principally providing 2026 funding for the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency. But the 2,364-seat theater -- the second-largest at the Kennedy Center complex -- would only get its new designation if the change was approved by both chambers of Congress. Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate and spending bills require 60 votes to pass, meaning Democrats may be able to strip the name change out of the text before any final vote.
