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Mint
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Donald Trump could be hit with drone in navel at Mar-a-Lago, Iran official issues chilling warning
In a chilling televised address, senior Iranian official Javad Larijani warned that US President Donald Trump could be assassinated while relaxing at his Florida estate. 'Trump has done something that he can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago,' Larijani said on Iranian state television, according to a report by London-based Iran International. 'As he lies there with his stomach to the sun, a small drone might hit him in the navel. It's very simple.' Larijani, a close advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, underscoring the high-level nature of the threat. Ongoing tensions The assassination threats mark a new phase in the long-simmering US-Iran conflict, fueled by the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani. Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a top figure in Shia Islamic jurisprudence, issued a statement previously that has been widely interpreted as a fatwa—a religious edict—against Trump. 'Any regime or individual threatening the leaders of the Islamic Ummah and acting on those threats qualifies as a Muharib,' he wrote, according to the Tehran Times. Under Shia Islamic law, a Muharib is someone who spreads terror or disorder—punishable by death. The declaration came in direct response to Trump's verbal attacks on Ayatollah Khamenei, following a deadly 12-day conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States earlier this year. During a speech in June, Trump made the stunning claim that during the conflict, he had the opportunity to assassinate Supreme Leader Khamenei—but chose not to. 'I saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death,' Trump said, adding, 'I knew exactly where he was hiding. I told the Israelis to stand down.' Trump has repeatedly taken credit for authorising strikes that allegedly 'obliterated' Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz—though intelligence assessments suggest these attacks caused only temporary disruptions. On April 5, 2025, Kayhan, a newspaper closely aligned with Iran's Supreme Leader, published a column openly advocating for Trump's assassination. 'He's way out of line! Any day now, in revenge for the blood of Martyr Soleimani, a few bullets are going to be fired into that empty skull of his and he'll be drinking from the chalice of a cursed death,' the editorial read, according to a Fox News translation. The threat followed Trump's warning to Iran that 'if they don't make a deal, there will be bombing,' and his proposal to reintroduce secondary tariffs. In November 2024, the US Department of Justice revealed that Iranian agent Farhad Shakeri was charged with plotting to assassinate then President-elect Donald Trump. According to DOJ filings, Shakeri was acting on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Two alleged co-conspirators, Eric Loadholt and James Rivera, were also arrested. The trio allegedly worked on US soil to locate and target Iranian dissidents and high-profile Americans. The DOJ disclosed that on October 7, 2024, Shakeri received direct orders from the IRGC to 'devise a plan targeting President-elect Donald Trump.' He later claimed to federal agents that he had no intention of completing the plan within the IRGC's timeline. The US Secret Service has already thwarted two assassination attempts on Trump in less than a year: On July 14, 2024, Trump was shot at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, suffering a minor injury to his ear. The assailant was killed by Secret Service agents after firing multiple rounds. On September 16, 2024, Trump was the target again, this time while playing golf in Florida. Agents noticed a gunman with an AK-47-style rifle and opened fire. The suspect escaped briefly but was later apprehended. According to Martin County Sheriff William Snyder, the man showed 'no emotion' when stopped by officers.
Mint
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Fatwa against Donald Trump? Shia cleric's ‘red line' on US president for ‘threatening' Iran's Supreme leader Khamenei
An Iranian cleric, Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a senior Marja in the Shia hierarchy, has declared that anyone who harms Ayatollah Khamenei deserves the death penalty. His statement came in response to a question regarding US President Donald Trump's increasingly aggressive rhetoric towards Iran's Supreme Leader, following the recent 12-day conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States. According to Tehran Times, in a written note, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi has declared, 'Any regime or individual threatening the leaders of the Islamic Ummah and acting on those threats qualifies as a Muharib.' Under Shia Islamic jurisprudence, a 'Muharib' is defined as someone who wages armed rebellion, terrorism, violent crimes, or other unlawful acts that spread fear and disorder in society. The prescribed punishment for such offenses is death. Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi's remarks are being interpreted as a "Fatwa," a religious edict, the Tehran Times report added. Iran's Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani and Iraq's Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani have published similar statements seen as Fatwas. 1. Accusation of Defeat and Denial of Iran's Victory Claims Donald Trump publicly challenged Khamenei's claim that Iran had emerged victorious over Israel and the US, calling it a 'lie' and bluntly stating, 'You got beat to hell.' He accused Khamenei of spreading falsehoods about the war's outcome, insisting that Iran's military and nuclear capabilities were severely damaged by U.S. strikes. Trump repeatedly asserted that US forces had 'obliterated' three key Iranian nuclear facilities (Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz) during the conflict. He insisted these strikes dealt a devastating blow to Iran's nuclear ambitions, despite some intelligence reports suggesting only a temporary setback. In a striking admission, Donald Trump revealed that he knew exactly where Khamenei was sheltering during the conflict and deliberately prevented Israeli and US forces from killing him, stating, 'I saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death.' Trump lamented that Khamenei did not 'thank' him for sparing his life. Donald Trump warned that the US would 'definitely' strike Iran again if Tehran resumed uranium enrichment or nuclear activities that posed a threat. He did not rule out future military action against Iran's nuclear sites if necessary. Trump disclosed that he was working on removing sanctions against Iran to aid its recovery but immediately dropped all efforts after Khamenei's 'statement of anger, hatred, and disgust.' He criticised Khamenei's tone and called it 'blatant and foolish,' blaming it for the collapse of potential diplomatic progress. Trump warned Iran that unless it 'gets back into the world order flow,' conditions would worsen for the country, describing it as 'a burned out, blown up country, with no future, a decimated military, a horrible economy and death all around them.' He urged the Iranian leadership to adopt a more conciliatory approach, saying, 'you often get more with honey than you do with vinegar.' Trump revealed that he ordered Israeli planes to turn back from a planned 'biggest attack of the war,' which he said would have caused significant Iranian casualties. He claimed to have restrained Israel from delivering a 'final knockout' blow to Iran. A Fatwa is an interpretation of Islamic law issued by a Marja. It is binding for all Muslims, meaning that even if Islamic governments are not able to act on it, individual Muslims should ensure its enforcement. A well-known example of states failing to act on a Fatwa, prompting individual Muslims to take matters into their own hands, is the case of Salman Rushdie. On February 14, 1989, Imam Khameini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, issued a historic Fatwa calling for the execution of Salman Rushdie, the British-Indian author of The Satanic Verses, a novel filled with blasphemy against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). The fatwa stated: "I inform the proud Muslim people of the world that the author of The Satanic Verses book, which is against Islam, the Prophet, and the Quran, and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, are sentenced to death. I call on all zealous Muslims to execute them quickly, wherever they find them." Rushdie was forced into hiding immediately after the fatwa was issued. He was placed under 24/7 British police protection and lived in safe houses for nearly a decade. In 1989, a bomb exploded at a London hotel where Rushdie was scheduled to speak. Over three decades after the Fatwa was issued, when Rushdie emerged from hiding and began living more openly, the threat had not faded, contrary to his and the police's expectations. In 2022, Rushdie was stabbed on stage in New York by an attacker allegedly acting on the Fatwa. He has since retreated back into seclusion.
France 24
24-06-2025
- Politics
- France 24
No definite proof for Iran's claims it shot down Israeli F-35 fighter jets
Since Israel's offensive against Iran began in the early hours of June 13, Israel has been circulating photos of its fighter jets flying towards Iran to destroy its nuclear sites and arsenal of ballistic missiles. The evening the offensive began, the Tehran Times, a media outlet with close links to the Iranian regime, announced that "an Israeli pilot' had been 'captured' and that Israel had said that two of its fighter planes had been shot down. The Iranian press agency Tasnim News, which has close links to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, reported the same story, this time claiming that the pilot who had been captured was a woman. 'Iran downs fourth Israeli F-35' Press TV, a television outlet controlled by the Iranian regime, reported that Iran had become the "first country to shoot down fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets'. This US-built fighter jet is considered one of the most effective in the world and is especially known for its stealth. Israel was quick to deny these claims through their Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee, who denounced "fake Iranian media outlets that spread baseless lies'. In the days that followed, Iranian media outlets continued to share what they said was a count of how many F-35 fighter jets the Iranian army had shot down. Press TV published an article on June 15 claiming that a third F-35 had been destroyed, explaining how the Iranian air defence system had managed to hit one of these planes. A day later, a headline in the Tehran Times read 'Iran downs 4th Israeli F-35'. "According to Tasnim news agency, the aircraft was identified by Iranian air defence systems stationed in the area and was successfully targeted with a precision-guided missile,' the article reads. These allegations aim to refute Israel's announcement of "full aerial superiority" in the early days of the attack. That declaration came after the Israeli army largely destroyed Iran's air defences, a stated objective of their military operation. 'There is no proof that Iran downed Israeli F-35s' However, for the time being, there is no proof confirming these claims. While anonymous sources apparently told the Tehran Times that Iran picked up debris from the F-35, the Iranian army hasn't shared any authenticated images, photos, or videos. No information was released about the identity of the pilot allegedly captured, though Iran claimed to have captured two. The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke with Janes Intelligence, a military analysis company that works with open-source data, which said that 'there is no evidence that Iran has shot down any Israeli F-35s'. Pierre Razoux, the academic director at the Mediterranean Foundation for Strategic Studies (FMES) and author of a study looking at 'the challenges of air superiority over the Middle East', is also sceptical about Iran's claims. He says that these losses are 'extremely unlikely, especially without photos. If it were true, Iran would be hurrying to unveil the photos'. Iran's air defence system: 'not the most modern' Several military experts interviewed agree with this assessment and say that it is unlikely that Iran's anti-aircraft defence systems could have reached the Israeli F-35s. "It's really hard to destroy an F-35 because it is made not to be detected,' says Jean-Christophe Noël, a former fighter pilot and a researcher with the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), highlighting that the F-35 is built for 'stealth'. "That doesn't mean that it is unstoppable,' he added. 'But it turns out that it is stealthy enough that Iran's surface-to-air missile batteries failed, batteries which are not the most modern.' Another expert agrees with this analysis. "To down a stealth aircraft, first you have to detect it in certain bands of frequency, then transmit its position to other radar to guide a missile: that requires a complex coordination that the Iranian army has not mastered, all the more so because Israel weakened its air defence system,' says Etienne Marcuz with the Fondation pour la recherche stratégique (Foundation for Strategic Research), who was interviewed by the fact-checking team of French daily Libération's CheckNews. While Israel has almost complete control of the Iranian airspace, the F-35s are protected against eventual attacks by the Iranian air fleet, which is also outdated compared to the Israeli army, according to these two experts. Against this information war backdrop, a number of fake images that apparently show downed F-35 planes have been circulating online. Accounts known to criticise Israel started to share images of debris they said came from an F-35 downed in the Iranian desert, starting on June 13. We ran these images through a reverse image search (see our handy guide to find out how you can do it, too) and discovered that the photos did indeed show a F-35 crash, but it took place in May 2024 in New Mexico in the United States, as shown by articles from the time. Accounts also circulated images taken from video games, claiming that they showed a downed F-35. A post in Arabic that garnered more than 6 million views on X used a clip from a video game uploaded to YouTube in May 2025. You can see the scene 34 seconds into the video when a fighter plane gets shot by anti-aircraft defence. Another photo that allegedly showed a downed F-35 was broadcast on Iranian television on June 14 and picked up by a number of pro-Iran accounts that shared it widely across social media, especially Facebook. However, this photo, which was likely generated by artificial intelligence, actually shows a fighter jet that doesn't have some of the characteristics of an Israeli F-35. The fins at the back of the plane, for example, seem to be facing the opposite direction to the F-35. Moreover, the symbol of the Israeli army – the Star of David – appears at the back of the jet in this image, though it is on the front of the Israeli F-35s. Moreover, the ground doesn't seem to be damaged at all, even though the plane is still on fire. Another image said to show an Israeli fighter jet crashed in the desert was also widely circulated and was even shared by a number of Arabic-language media outlets like Gaza Now, whose post was viewed more than two million times. However, a number of social media users mocked this image, which was likely generated by AI, because certain details such as the jet's engine don't match the real F-35, but the real issue is the size of the downed jet as compared to the people around it. It looks huge in the image, whereas in reality, an F-35 is only about 15 metres long and six metres wide.
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'What is certain is that...': Iran says Russia supported airstrikes on US base in Qatar as Trump announces ceasefire
Iran says Russian defense minister Andrey Belousov (in photo) called Iran counterpart and extended support after Iran's attack on US base in Qatar. Iranian defence minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh claimed Russia extended its support after Iran's strike on US base in Qatar, which US President Donald Trump dismissed as a 'coordinated' attack and announced a ceasefire. Iran media reported that Russian defence minister Andrey Belousov condemned Israel's "unprovoked aggression" and declared "unequivocal support" for Iran's people. "What is certain is that we are not fighting solely the Zionist regime; the US and several other nations back this entity. Our decision remains firm: We will punish the aggressor with all our might, and we reject any imposed peace," Nasirzadesh was quoted as saying by Tehran Times. "Their true aim is weakening the Islamic Republic and spreading chaos throughout the region. Russia monitors all developments and will support Iran," Russian defense minister Andrey Belousov said. Trump has already threatened Russia after former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said future production of nuclear weapons will continue, as a number of countries are ready to supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ductless Air Conditioners Are Selling Like Crazy [See Why] Keep Cool Click Here Undo "Did I hear Former President Medvedev, from Russia, casually throwing around the 'N word' (Nuclear!), and saying that he and other Countries would supply Nuclear Warheads to Iran?" Trump wrote. "Did he really say that or, is it just a figment of my imagination? If he did say that, and, if confirmed, please let me know, IMMEDIATELY," he added. Trump announced a ceasefire and blamed both Israel and Iran for violating it. 'ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly 'Plane Wave' to Iran,' he wrote on Truth Social. 'Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!' he said, with his now-trademark sign off: 'Thank you for your attention to this matter! ' 'Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and dropped a boatload of bombs the likes of which I've never seen before. The biggest load that we've seen, I'm not happy with Israel,' Trump said earlier. 'Ok, when I say now you have 12 hours, you don't go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them. So, I'm not happy with him. I'm not happy with Iran either,' the president added.
News18
24-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
Moment When Order To Strike US' Al-Udeid Airbase In Qatar Was Issued By Iran
Last Updated: The moment when the order was issued to strike Al-Udeid Airbase in Qatar was recorded from the IRGC operations room. In a major retaliation against the United States, Iran on Monday targeted the Al-Udeid base in Qatar — an American air base in the country. The moment when the order was issued to strike Al-Udeid Airbase in Qatar was recorded from the IRGC operations room. The Tehran Times, released the video in which officials can be seen issuing the order. Iran announced attacks on state television. A caption on the screen called it 'a mighty and successful response by the armed forces of Iran to America's aggression". However, Qatar condemned the attack on Al Udeid Air Base. It later informed that the country successfully intercepted the missiles, and no casualties were reported. Meanwhile, defenders intercepting Iranian missiles in Qatar are going viral on social media. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran has officially come into effect, urging both sides to honour the agreement and not violate it. Earlier, the US President in a late-night post outlined that the ceasefire would unfold in two phases over a 24-hour period starting at approximately 0400 GMT on Tuesday. Shortly after Trump's announcement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied that a formal ceasefire agreement had been reached. 'As of now, there is NO 'agreement' on ceasefire or cessation of military operations," Araghchi posted. First Published:
