Blast caused by gas leak injures 7 in Iranian city of Qom
Since the end of a 12-day air war last month between Iran and Israel, in which Israel and the United States attacked Iran's nuclear facilities, several gas explosions have occurred in Iran, and the authorities have not blamed Israel.
Qom Governor Akbar Behnamjoo was quoted by state media as saying: "The cause of the explosion in a residential building of Pardisan was not terrorism."
The director of Qom's fire department told the semi-official Fars news agency four residential units were damaged in the blast in the Pardisan neighbourhood.
"Initial assessments show that the cause of the incident was a gas leak, and follow-ups are continuing in this regard," the director said.
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The Guardian
11 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Israel strikes Syria's defence ministry in third day of attacks on the country
The Israeli military struck the Syrian defence ministry in Damascus twice on Wednesday as it intervened in the clashes between the Syrian army and Druze fighters in southern Syria in the country's deadliest violence in months. The strikes collapsed four floors of the ministry and ruined its facade. Syrian state media said that at least two officers had been wounded and staff were reportedly sheltering in the building's basement. It was the first time that Israel had targeted Damsacus since May and the third day in a row it had conducted airstrikes against the Syrian military. A spokesperson for the Israeli military said the strike on the defence ministry had been a 'message to [the Syrian president Ahmed] al-Sharaa regarding the events in Suweida'. The Israeli military struck Syrian tanks on Monday and has continued to conduct drone strikes on troops, killing some soldiers. Israel has said it will not allow the Syrian army to deploy in the south of the country, and that it would protect the Druze community from the Damascus government. Many in the community have rebuffed Israel's claim of patronage for fear of being viewed as a foreign proxy. The Israeli bombing added another complication to an already escalating conflict between Syrian government forces, Bedouin Arab tribes and Druze fighters. More than 200 people have been killed in four days of clashes, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights. The continued clashes pitting mostly Sunni government forces against Druze fighters have prompted fears of a wider sectarian conflict. An attack in March by remnants of the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad on security forces led to bloodletting in which more than 1,500 people were killed, most of them from the minority Alawite community. The Druze, a religious minority in Syria and the wider Middle East, make up the majority of the population of Suweida province in the south of the country. They have been negotiating with the Islamist-led authorities in Damascus since the fall of Assad in an attempt to achieve some form of autonomy, but have yet to reach an agreement that defines their relationship with the new Syrian state. The Syrian army entered Suweida on Sunday in an attempt to restore calm between Druze fighters and Arab Bedouin tribes. Fighting broke out after Bedouin tribe members robbed a Druze man on the main road south of Damascus, kicking off a cycle of retaliatory violence between the two groups. Intermittent violence between members of the Druze and Bedouin communities has been common in the area in recent years. Some Druze militias have vowed to prevent Syrian government forces entering Suweida and have attacked them, leading to escalating clashes. The Syrian defence minister announced a ceasefire on Tuesday, and the three spiritual leaders of the Syrian Druze community issued a statement permitting Syrian security forces to enter Suweida. The ceasefire was quickly broken, however, and fighting between Druze fighters and government soldiers resumed. Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, the most vocally anti-government of the three Druze spiritual leaders, appealed for international powers to help protect the community. Several civilians in Suweida city described being locked inside their home as fighting continued outside, while electricity and other basic supplies have been cut off. One 52-year-old English teacher said they had watched as their neighbour was shot dead by a hidden sniper, and that no one could collect the body for fear of being shot. The Syrian interior ministry said the continued fighting could only be solved by integrating the Druze-majority province into the state and said it came 'in the absence of relevant official institutions'. The killings in Suweida provoked anger among the wider Druze community in the Middle East. Some Israeli Druze in the occupied Golan Heights managing to cross the fence into Syria before being retrieved by the Israeli army. The Israeli military also said that it had reinforced its presence along the Syria-Israel border. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued a statement urging people not to try to cross the border into Syria. 'Do not cross the border. You are risking your lives; you could be murdered, you could be taken hostage, and you are impeding the efforts of the IDF,' he said. Relations between Israel and Syria had begun to thaw before this week, with Israeli and Syrian officials engaging in security discussions and military coordination. Syria's leadership has hinted it could eventually normalise relations with its southern neighbour. After the fall of Assad, the Israeli military launched hundreds of airstrikes against military assets in Syria and invaded the country's south, where it continues to occupy large swathes of territory.
Telegraph
41 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Israel bombs Syria's military headquarters
2:33PM Druze residents cross into Syria to join fighting, says Israel Several hundred Druze residents of Israel crossed into Syria today in order to join the fighting across the border, according to Israel's military. Videos showed dozens of men breaching the border fence in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in an apparent effort to join Druze militias in defending the city of Sweida from Syrian government forces and Bedouin tribes. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, released a video message imploring members of the Druze community not to cross into Syria. 'My fellow Druze citizens of Israel, the situation in Sweida, the situation in southwestern Syria, is very serious,' he said. 'I have one request from you: You are citizens of Israel. Do not cross the border.' The Israel Defence Forces said troops are working to return them to Israel and acknowledged the military was unprepared to handle the chaos. Syrian regime forces are now believed to be in control of 70 per cent of more of Sweida, with an estimated 200 forces in the city and 1,000 in the outskirts. 2:25PM US envoy for Syria calls on all parties to 'step back' The United States' special envoy for Syria has called on all parties to step back following clashes with Druze factions in the south and Israeli strikes in Damascus. 'We unequivocally condemn violence against civilians in Sweida... All parties must step back and engage in meaningful dialogue that leads to a lasting ceasefire,' Tom Barrack said, adding that 'perpetrators need to be held accountable'. His statement comes as Israel warned Syria's new authorities against targeting the Druze and launched air strikes near the Syrian army's headquarters. 2:20PM Israel warns Syria of 'painful blows' to come Israel's defence minister has warned the Syrian government of further 'painful blows' following a strike on the regime's defence headquarters. 'The signaling in Damascus is over, now come the painful blows,' Israel Katz said in a statement, adding that the army will 'continue to operate forcefully in Sweida to destroy the forces that attacked the Druze until their full withdrawal.' Israel has been attacking Syrian forces for three days, with dozens of troops killed in the strikes, after they entered Sweida, a Druze-majority city close to Israel's border on Sunday where sectarian violence is raging. He added: 'Our Druze brothers in Israel: You can count on the Israel Defense Forces to protect your brothers in Syria. Prime Minister Netanyahu and I, as defense minister, have made a commitment, and we will uphold it,' Mr Katz adds. 2:16PM In pictures: Syrian army and defence HQ bombed by Israel The Israeli military has launched a wave of strikes against the headquarters of the Syrian army and defence headquarters in Damascus. Following the strikes, the cityscape was blanketed in smoke with a thick plume rising from the defence ministry. 2:14PM Welcome to our live coverage Welcome to our live coverage as Israel steps up its bombing campaign against Syrian government forces attacking Druze communities in the south of the country. We'll bring you the latest updates and analysis as it comes in.
BreakingNews.ie
41 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Taoiseach says €3.6m investment in Israel ‘not going to fund any war'
The Taoiseach has said a €3.6 million investment in Israel is 'not going to fund any war' in response to claims Ireland was funding a genocide in Gaza. Micheál Martin said the Government has no role in directing how public money should be invested and said it was not true to say Irish funds invested in Israel meant Ireland was funding a genocide in Gaza. Advertisement Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan said that at the end of 2023, the Irish Strategic Investment Fund (Isif) held €2.62 million in Israeli sovereign debt. By the end of 2024 that had increased to €3.62 million, he told the Dáil during Leaders' Questions. 'This wasn't a mistake or some kind of oversight. Someone made a deliberate decision to increase the level of public money spent on Israeli war bonds, and the Israeli government have not hidden what those bonds are for,' he said. 'These bonds are clearly being used to help finance their genocidal campaign. Taoiseach, this is utterly outrageous.' Advertisement He also said it was 'shameful' that nearly eight million euros of Irish public money was invested, directly or indirectly, in companies operating in occupied territories while the Government is trying to pass a bill banning the trade of goods with Israeli settlements in the same occupied territories. Mr Martin said he would 'follow through' on the issue raised with him on Wednesday, but pushed back against the suggestion that Ireland was funding a genocide. 'I take strong exception to your assertion that the Irish Government is funding genocide. It most certainly is not and never has,' he said. 'You know the Government does not get involved in investment decisions by any fund that is established, you know that is the case.' Advertisement He said Ireland was opposed to the war in Gaza and listed Ireland's position on matters relating to Gaza: that Ireland was the only country that has moved to pass legislation banning goods coming from the illegally occupied Palestinian territories and had pushed for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. He said Ireland had intervened in South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and also sponsored UN resolutions in respect of decisions at the court. Mr O'Callaghan said the Government gives the Isif 'its strategic direction', and should direct it not to invest money in companies that contravene international law in the West Bank. 'There are much better places that our money should be spent: in affordable housing, in healthcare and disability services. Not a cent should be invested in companies operating in occupied Palestinian territories, in the West Bank.' Advertisement Mr Martin said: 'The Isif have confirmed that at the end of 2024 it had held 3.6 million in Israeli sovereign debt. 'That's not going to fund any war, deputy. So let's have a sense of perspective. 'You can argue it's not right, I take that point. 'But you said we funded genocide. That is an outrageous, exaggerated assertion. You lack credibility in putting a point like that, but you do it for political gain only.' Advertisement He said Isif held 5.2 million in Egyptian sovereign debt and 2.3 million in Jordanian sovereign debt, and added: 'I wouldn't approve of some of this either.' He called on Mr O'Callaghan to withdraw the claim that Ireland was funding genocide.
