The UN - has called for
an investigation: into
Israel's attacks on
Lebanon
by Vladimir Kolinichenko
April 8th, 8:45pm
(Vesti.ru)
UN: Israel's "horrific" attacks on Lebanon must
be investigated. The UN has called for an
investigation into Israel's attacks
on Lebanon.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR), described Israel's attacks on
Lebanon as "horrific" and called for an investigation,
according to OHCHR spokesperson Tamin al-Kitan
on social media.
On April 8, Israel struck more than ten locations
in southern Lebanon, including the city of Tyre.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said
that the scale of casualties and destruction in Lebanon
(from the April 8 attacks - editor's note) is appalling.
''It is necessary to conduct a prompt and independent
investigation of all alleged human rights violations
and bring those responsible to justice,''
al-Kitan stated
According to him - all efforts to reduce tensions in the
Middle East will be in vain.... as long as the people of
Lebanon live in a state of war, forced displacement,
and fear of new attacks.
_______________________________________
Netanyahu said that Israel
still has ''goals'' in Iran
April 8th, 8:10pm
(RT.ru)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
said that Israel .....still has goals in Iran.
According to him, Israel intends to achieve these
goals either through diplomacy ------- or by force.
"This is not the end of the war. It is a stop on the
way to achieving all goals," Netanyahu was
quoted by The Jerusalem Post.
Earlier, Tasnim news agency, citing a source,
wrote that Iran may withdraw from the
peace agreement with the US ------ if
Israel continues to strike Lebanon.
_____________________________________
3 key clauses of ceasefire breached
before talks even began: Ghalibaf
April 8th, 7:52pm
(Al Mayadeen English)
Iran’s Parliament Speaker accuses the US of violating
the Agreed Framework, citing the Lebanon ceasefire
breaches and the airspace violations.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has
strongly criticized the violations of the Islamic Republic’s
10-point proposal also known as the Agreed Framework,
even before the negotiations have formally begun.
In a statement, Ghalibaf emphasized the historical mistrust
Tehran holds toward the United States, noting that it
“stems from its repeated violations of all forms of
commitments, a pattern that has regrettably
been repeated - once again.”
He highlighted that the proposal, which the US president has
called a “workable basis on which to negotiate,” has
already been breached in three significant areas:
Ceasefire in Lebanon – The first clause of the proposal, which
the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, also explicitly
referenced, calls for “an immediate ceasefire everywhere,
referenced, calls for “an immediate ceasefire everywhere,
including Lebanon and other regions, effective
immediately.” Ghalibaf noted ---- that this
commitment has not been honoured.
Violation of Iranian Airspace – An intruding drone entered Iranian
airspace, and was subsequently destroyed in Lar, Fars Province,
in direct contravention of the clause prohibiting such violations.
Right to Nuclear Enrichment –– Iran’s entitlement to enrichment,
included in the sixth clause of the framework, has been denied.
Ghalibaf stressed that these breaches have undermined the very
foundation of the proposed negotiations, stating, “Now, the very
‘workable basis on which to negotiate’ has been openly and
clearly violated, even before the negotiations began.”
He concluded that, under the current circumstances,
a bilateral ceasefire --- or negotiations --- would
be “unreasonable".
Lebanon included, choose:
ceasefire ------- or war:
Araghchi to US
ceasefire ------- or war:
Araghchi to US
Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed that the
terms of the Iran-US ceasefire are “clear and explicit,” warning
that Washington must choose -------- between upholding the
agreement or allowing continued military action --------
through “Israel".
In a post on X on Wednesday, Araghchi stated that the United
States “cannot have both” a ceasefire and ongoing war, as
Israeli strikes on Lebanon continued - despite the truce
framework - which explicitly includes Lebanon and
requires “Israel” ...to halt its attacks.
He added that the situation in Lebanon is being closely monitored
internationally, noting that ------ “the world sees the massacres in
Lebanon,” and emphasized that “the ball is in the US court, and
the world is watching whether it will act on its commitments.”
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail
Baghaei said the United States will share responsibility
for any violations of the ceasefire by “Israel".
Speaking to IRNA, Baghaei stated, “The responsibility for any
breach of the ceasefire by the Zionist entity also lies with
the United States.”
He added that Washington had committed to ensuring compliance
across all fronts, saying, “As explicitly stated in the initial post
by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the United States pledged
that it and its allies would adhere to the ceasefire on
all fronts, including Lebanon.”
Source: News websites
___________________________________________
The Belgian Foreign Minister said
that he had almost been hit by
Israeli shelling in Lebanon
April 8th, 7:49pm
(RT.ru)
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévo said - that he had
almost been struck by Israelis during a visit to Lebanon.
"My delegation and I were at the embassy just a few
hundred metres from where the missiles hit. This
must stop," he wrote on social media.
According to the minister, Israel launched
a massive attack ------- without warning.
Prevot emphasized: that the ceasefire
should also apply to Lebanon.
On April 8, the Israeli army launched strikes on Lebanon.
89 people were killed, and more than 700 were injured.
RT cameraman Ali Rida Sbeit said that Israel started
bombing Lebanon ---- without warning, or the
opportunity to evacuate civilians.
________________________________________
Mediator Pakistan confirms:
US-Iran ceasefire violated -
as Israel ravages Lebanon
US-Iran ceasefire violated -
as Israel ravages Lebanon
April 8th, 6:46pm
(PressTV)
Pakistan’s PM, urges commitment to terms of
a ceasefire agreed between Iran and the US.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has confirmed - that the
terms of a recent ceasefire between Iran and the United States
have been violated, with the Israeli regime ------- continuing to
attack Lebanon.
Sharif, whose country mediated the two-week truce announced
on Tuesday, said on Wednesday that violations reported at a
few places across the conflict zone covering the US-Israeli
aggression on Iran and its regional allies “undermine the
spirit of the peace process.”
“I earnestly and sincerely urge all parties to exercise restraint
and respect the ceasefire for two weeks, as agreed upon, so
that diplomacy can take a lead role towards a peaceful
settlement of the conflict,” he posted on X.
The comments came, after the Israeli regime carried out
extensive attacks across Lebanon, killing at least 254
people ......and injuring more than 1,165 people.
The regime said.. its aggression on Lebanon, which started
concurrent with the joint US-Israeli aggression on Iran in
late February, does not count as part of the ceasefire
deal announced by Pakistan.
That comes as Sharif said in a post on the X platform early
on Wednesday that Iran and the US and their allies had
agreed to “an immediate ceasefire everywhere
including Lebanon and elsewhere”.
US President Donald Trump also told a PBS journalist on
Wednesday that Lebanon is “not included” in the
ceasefire agreement, adding that it was
“a separate skirmish”.
Trump reportedly said that the continued attacks on Lebanon
were because of the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah,
which, he said, would “get taken care of.”
However, Iran said it would decisively respond to the Israeli
regime's attacks on Lebanon, saying any attacks on the
Arab country ---- are deemed to be an attack on Iran.
Hezbollah has been carrying out missile and drone attacks
on the Israeli regime since the start of the US-Israeli
aggression on Iran.
Meanwhile, there were reports of other cases
of truce breaches in Iran, on Wednesday.
Authorities in the Oil Ministry said a refinery facility in the
Persian Gulf island of Lavan had come under attack
hours after the ceasefire announcement.
That prompted a swift response as the Iranian armed forces
launched attacks on locations in the United Arab Emirates
and in Kuwait.
Later in the day, local media reports said air defense systems in
the Iranian capital Tehran had to respond to truce violations,
although there was no official confirmation.
______________________________________________
Iran has stopped ships from passing through
the Strait of Hormuz due to Israeli attacks
on Lebanon
by Maxim Kozlov
April 8th, 3:12pm
(Rossiyskaya Gazeta)
To share
Iran has suspended the passage of ships through the Strait of
Hormuz due to Israel's strikes on Lebanon, which Tehran
considers a violation of the ceasefire agreement. This
was reported by the Iranian news agency Fars.
The agency claims that the transit of ships has been suspended
until further notice. It is noted that only two oil tankers have
passed through the strait since the ceasefire began.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced a two-week truce
between the US and Iran. Later, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas
Araqchi announced the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
"A safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible
within two weeks, in coordination with the Iranian armed
forces," the minister emphasized.
In addition - as reported by the British newspaper, the
Financial Times, Iran intended to charge a 1-dollar
toll on passing tankers, per barrel of oil. The
payment was to be made in Bitcoin.
However, due to Israel's attacks on
Lebanon, navigation in the area
was temporarily suspended.
______________________________
The Lebanese Ministry of Health
reported --- hundreds of deaths
and injuries in Israeli attacks
April 8th, 1:04pm
(RT.ru)
Dozens of people were killed and hundreds injured
in Israeli attacks in various parts of Lebanon.
This is reported by Al Jazeera with reference
to the country's Ministry of Health.
According to TV channel, hospitals in Beirut and
other areas are overcrowded after the attacks.
On April 8th, the Israeli army attacked
Lebanon amid a US-Iranian ceasefire.
RT operator Ali Rida Sbeitie reported that
the IDF ....is striking densely populated
and civilian areas in Lebanon.
___________________________________
“On the Brink of Great Victory”: Hezbollah
Calls on Displaced Civilians to
Hold Off their Return
April 8th, 12:12pm
(al Manar)
Hezbollah on Wednesday called on displaced civilians to be
patient and delay returning to southern Lebanon, Bekaa
and Beirut’s Dahiyeh, vowing that they will do so soon
“proud and victorious.”
In a statement, Hezbollah addressed to - “the most honourable
people” as saying: “We call on you, in these crucial moments,
to be patient and hold off return to the targeted areas in the
south, the Bekaa and Beirut’s southern suburb (Dahiyeh),”
pending an official ceasefire announcement.
“We stand on the brink of great victory, one forged through the
sacrifices -- of the Mujahideen (fighters), the blood of the
martyrs, and your unwavering resilience and patience,”
added the statement, issued by Hezbollah’s
Media Relations.
The group attributed its call to “treacherous
attempts” by the Israeli enemy.
“The treacherous and brutal enemy, seeking to mask the reality
of its defeat - may resort to deceptive attempts to fabricate an
illusion of success - one it failed to achieve on the battlefield,”
the statement read.
The Lebanese resistance group promised the displaced people
that they will return soon to their towns “proud and victorious.”
“God willing, you will soon return to your villages and homes —
proud, dignified, and victorious, as you have always been,”
Hezbollah’s statement concluded.
Earlier on Wednesday, a two-week ceasefire between Iran
and the United States was announced. Pakistani Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the ceasefire,
saying it is “effective immediately” and covers
everywhere including Lebanon. However....
the Israeli enemy went ahead with its
aggression - across Lebanon.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
Trump aides called Netanyahu’s regime
change plan in Iran... ‘farcical’: Report
April 8th, 11:42am
(PressTV)
Top US officials told President Donald Trump that Israeli
prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, “regime change”
plan in Iran was “farcical”, the New York Times reports.
Netanyahu made a high-stakes pitch this February in the White
House Situation Room for the US to launch a war against Iran
together with Israel, selling Trump on a range of predictions
regarding how swiftly the joint operation would pan out.
The report --- which detailed how Trump arrived at his decision to
go to war on February 28, said Netanyahu told Trump that Iran’s
ballistic missile program could be destroyed.... in a few weeks,
Tehran would be so weakened by the US-Israeli attacks...
Tehran would be so weakened by the US-Israeli attacks...
that it would be unable to block traffic through the
Strait of Hormuz and would likely be unable to
strike US assets in neighbouring countries
and - consequently - its government...
would be ripe for collapse.
While Trump’s CIA chief, John Ratcliffe, and secretary of state,
Marco Rubio, would later characterize Netanyahu’s “regime
change” prediction as “farcical”, the president and many
of his advisers were sold on the ideas that Iran’s
leadership could be taken out and that its
military arsenal could be destroyed.
The report cited Netanyahu’s scenario with talking Trump into
green-lighting the war, but it also said that the US president
needed little persuasion.
“Mr. Trump’s hawkish thinking aligned with Mr. Netanyahu’s over
many months, more so than even some of the president’s key
advisers recognized,” the report said.
During 41 days of the Israeli-US war of terrorism, Iran continued
its daily ballistic missile launches, and is still assessed to have
enough missiles and launchers to do so for an extended period.
It also immediately moved to administer traffic in the Strait of
Hormuz, and has carried out thousands of missile and drone
attacks ------- on nearly all of the US assets in the region.
When Trump asked General Dan Caine, chair of the US Joint
Chiefs of Staff, for his opinion, the top military official
reportedly told the president that the plan from the
Israelis appeared overblown, the Times reported.
Caine told Trump that such boisterous assessments were
“standard operating procedure for the Israelis,” and that
Israel’s planning is “not always well-developed … They
know they need us - that's why they are hard-selling.”
Over the following days, Caine shared with Trump and others
the alarming military assessment that a major campaign
against Iran would drastically deplete stockpiles of
US weaponry, including missile interceptors,
whose supply had been strained after
years of support for Ukraine
and Israel.
Caine saw no clear path to quickly
replenishing these stockpiles,
the report said.
Caine noted the “enormous difficulty” of securing the Strait of
Hormuz if Iran moved to block it, though Trump dismissed
such a possibility, believing that Tehran would
“capitulate before it came to that.”
While Caine’s colleagues believed the military official thought
war with Iran was a bad idea, he did not tell Trump his
opinion on the matter, believing his role was to
provide the president with options, not
sway policy, the report added.
When the time came to actually green-light the plan, Trump held a
“final” Situation Room meeting on February 26, two days before
the US and Israel ....ultimately launched their aggression.
Given the extreme sensitivity of the topic, several senior cabinet
secretaries were kept from the meeting, namely: the Treasury
Secretary Scott Bessent, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and
the Director of National Intelligence....... Tulsi Gabbard.
At the meeting - which only lasted some 90 minutes,
Vice President JD Vance, who made his opposition
to military action with Iran well known in previous
discussions, reportedly told Trump, “You know,
I think this is a bad idea, but if you want to
do it, I will support you.”
White House communications director Steven Cheung also
voiced concern, laying out what he saw as a likely “public
relations fallout,” the Times added.
Among his concerns was the fact that Trump specifically
campaigned ......on not involving the US in any new wars.
Additionally, Cheung reportedly wondered how the administration
would be able to “explain away” the fact that it had repeatedly
insisted that Iran’s nuclear program was “obliterated” after
the US strikes on three facilities last June, while now
saying that it had to act to remove Iran’s so-called
“imminent” nuclear threat.
On Wednesday, the United States and Iran agreed to a
two-week ceasefire after Washington received a
10-point proposal from Tehran.
Netanyahu’s office said Israel...
supported Trump’s decision.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Iran ------ declares 'historic victory' over US,
says enemy forced to accept its proposal
April 8th, 12:30am
(PressTV)
Iran has declared an "historic and crushing defeat" of the United
States and the Israeli regime after 40 days of war, announcing
that Washington has been forced to accept a 10-point Iranian
proposal that includes a permanent ceasefire, the lifting of
all sanctions, and the withdrawal of US combat forces
from the region.
In a statement addressed to the "noble, great, and heroic nation
of Iran," the Supreme National Security Council said the enemy
had suffered an undeniable defeat and now saw "no way
forward but to submit to the will of the great nation of
Iran and the honourable Axis of Resistance."
The announcement comes on Day 40 of the US-Israeli war of
aggression on Iran, which began with the assassination of
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali
Khamenei and top-ranking commanders on
February 28.
According to the statement, the United States has
agreed to a 10-point proposal that fundamentally
commits Washington to:
agreed to a 10-point proposal that fundamentally
commits Washington to:
No new aggression against Iran
Continued Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz
Acceptance of enrichment
Removal of all primary sanctions
Removal of all secondary sanctions
Termination of all UN Security Council resolutions
Termination of all Board of Governors resolutions
Payment of compensation to Iran
Withdrawal of US combat forces from the region
Cessation of war on all fronts, including against
the heroic Islamic Resistance of Lebanon
"Iran has achieved a great victory and has forced
criminal America to accept its own 10-point
proposal," the statement read.
The statement by the top security body described the past 40
days as one of the "heaviest combined battles in history,"
in which Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen,
and occupied Palestine inflicted blows ---- that
"the historical memory of the world will
never forget."
"Iran and the Resistance have almost completely destroyed the
American military machine in the region," it stated. "They have
inflicted crushing and deep blows on the vast infrastructure
and capabilities that the enemy had built and deployed
around the region over many years.... for this war
against Iran."
The statement added that within the occupied territories,
Resistance forces - had dealt "devastating and crushing
blows to the enemy's forces, infrastructure, facilities,
and assets."
It further stated that the United States understood as
early as 10 days into the war --- that it could not win.
"Not only did none of the enemy's main objectives materialize,
but the enemy realized from about 10 days after the start of
the war that it would have no ability to win this war," the
statement said. "For this reason --- through various
channels and methods, the enemy began efforts
to establish contact with Iran and request
a ceasefire."
The top security body further said... the enemy had initially
imagined a quick military victory, believing Iran's missile
and drone capabilities would be "quickly extinguished,"
and noted that "vile global Zionism" had convinced
the "ignorant President of the United States"
that the war would finish Iran.
While declaring victory, the top security
body also urged continued vigilance.
"We congratulate all the people of Iran on this victory," the
statement read, "and emphasize that until the details of
this victory are finalized --- there remains a need for
the resilience and prudence of officials and the
the resilience and prudence of officials and the
preservation of unity and solidarity
among the people of Iran."
The Iranian announcement came hours after Trump said he
had agreed to a two-week suspension of bombing and
attacks on Iran, subject to Tehran reopening the
Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he would
"suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of
two weeks" - a decision he described as a "double-
sided CEASEFIRE."
Trump said the suspension is "subject to the Islamic Republic
of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE
OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz."
Earlier on Tuesday, he had warned that "a whole civilization will
die tonight" if Iran failed to meet his demands, an inflammatory
war rhetoric that triggered a worldwide backlash.
Many condemned the bluster as genocidal and
said it amounts to a horrendous war crime.
Pope Leo XIV called the threat "truly unacceptable," while
US lawmakers decried Trump's rhetoric as "pure evil,"
with many of them calling for the invocation of the
25th Amendment --- to remove Trump from office.
The Strait of Hormuz, which carries approximately one-fifth
of the world's oil --- has been effectively blocked by Iran
since the US and Israel - launched their unprovoked
and illegal war of aggression against the Islamic
Republic of Iran on February 28.
Iranian officials had categorically stated that the strategic
waterway will not be reopened unless its demands are
met, which include the permanent cessation of
US-Israeli attacks.
In line with the directive of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution,
Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei ..and the approval of the
Supreme National Security Council, and given Iran and the
resistance's upper hand on the battlefield, the enemy's
inability to carry out its threats despite all its claims
..and the official acceptance of all the legitimate
demands of the Iranian people --- it has been
decided: that negotiations will be held in
Islamabad ...to finalize the details.
This will take place within a maximum of 15 days, so that
the details of Iran's victory on the battlefield may also
be solidified in the political negotiations.
The negotiations will begin on Friday in Islamabad. Iran will
allocate two weeks for these negotiations and the time-
frame may be extended by mutual agreement of the
two sides.
The top security body said it is essential that during this
period, complete national unity is maintained and
victory celebrations continue with strength.
These negotiations, it asserted, are a national negotiation
and an extension of the battlefield ---- so all people and
political groups must trust and support this process,
which is under the supervision of the Leader of
the Islamic Revolution.
"If the enemy's surrender on the battlefield - is transformed
into a decisive political achievement in the negotiations,
we will celebrate this great historic victory together.
Otherwise, we will fight side by side on the battle-
field until all the demands of the Iranian people
are met," the statement noted.
"Our hands are on the trigger, and the moment the slightest
mistake is made by the enemy, it will be answered with
full force."