UN chief warns ---- Israeli violence in West
Bank raises 'spectre of ethnic cleansing'
September 22nd. 8:50pm
(PressTV)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned: that Israeli
violence, forced displacement and settlement expansion in the
occupied West Bank are undermining prospects for peace and
raising the “spectre of ethnic cleansing.”
Addressing the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday,
Guterres said Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territory
were “bulldozing the path to peace,” stressing that the so-called
two-state solution must not be allowed to disappear.
“Violence, displacement and settlement expansion by Israel in the
occupied West Bank are bulldozing the path to peace and raising
the spectre of ethnic cleansing,” he said.
Guterres also warned that the devastating situation in the occupied
Palestinian territories must not be overshadowed by the wider
conflicts engulfing the West Asia region.
Referring to the October 7, 2023 al-Aqsa operation by Palestinian
resistance groups, he said it was followed by a brutal Israeli
military assault on Gaza, resulting in a scale of killing and
destruction unlike anything he had witnessed during
his tenure as UN secretary-general.
“But what followed was an onslaught on Palestinians in Gaza
with a scale of killing and destruction unlike anything I’ve
witnessed in my years as secretary-general,” he said.
Guterres also pointed to the International Court of Justice (ICJ),
which issued provisional measures in the case concerning the
application of the Genocide Convention in Gaza, stressing
that all parties must comply with international law and
the court’s orders.
In July 2024, the ICJ issued a landmark advisory opinion declaring
Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory
since 1967 unlawful, and finding that its settlement policy ------
violates international law.
ICJ recent ruling against Israel
mandates Palestinian return to
1967 lands: Legal experts
Legal experts say the ‘landmark’ opinion issued on Friday by the
ICJ necessitates Israel to facilitate the return of Palestinians
to their lands occupied by the Zionist regime since 1967.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the UN chief called for the United
Nations to be allowed to carry out its mandated work in the
besieged Gaza Strip & for UN personnel and humanitarian
workers to be protected.
Guterres urged world leaders to use the General Assembly’s high-
level week .....to pursue de-escalation, stressing the need to end
Israel’s military campaign and also ------ ensure the delivery of
humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.
He said the international community must send a clear message
that the violence must end and that humanitarian access and
fundamental rights must be upheld ---- in accordance with
international law.
Guterres’s remarks came amid continued international concern
over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, as well as Israel’s
settlement expansion and military operations across
the occupied Palestinian territories.
In a recent statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Israel’s
decades-long occupation, terrorism, violations of
international law and “unprecedented crimes”
in the occupied Palestinian territories have
dealt severe blows to the credibility and
standing of the United Nations and
international law.
The ministry also expressed deep concern over continued
Israeli crimes against Palestinians, particularly genocide,
war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza and
the occupied West Bank.
It said the international community has a responsibility -- to take
serious and decisive action to halt the genocide of Palestinians.
The remarks came as Israeli forces continued strikes on Gaza
------ despite a US-brokered ceasefire agreed in October 2025.
According to the latest figures reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry,
Israeli attacks have killed at least 73,914 Palestinians and
wounded 174,958 others since Israel launched its
genocidal war on the territory on October
7, 2023.
________________________________________
Araghchi -- urges world to
hold US accountable for
‘war crimes’ at UNGA
September 22nd, 6:41pm
(PressT)
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that global inaction
toward recent war crimes committed by the United States and
Israel against Iran could have catastrophic consequences
for the international community.
The Iranian minister made the remarks in a Tuesday meeting with
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in New York, where he
was attending the 2026 United Nations General Assembly.
Araghchi said the world has not done enough to condemn those war
crimes, notably the attacks on February 28 on a school in Minab
and a sports hall in Lamerd, both in southern Iran, where the
US killed close to 200 people, many of them children.
Iran’s foreign minister underscored the extensive ramifications
of the impunity of these criminals -------------- for the entire world.
Araghchi said all countries have a responsibility to uphold the
UN Charter and international law, not least the principle of
the prohibition of the use of force.
Governments around the world must hold the US accountable
for the consequences of its actions, including the repeated
violations of the indirect agreements with Iran to end the
aggression, Araghchi said.
Iran is determined to defend itself against the interventionist
actions of the US, including its naval blockade and the
economic war it has imposed on the Iranian people,
he added.
During the meeting, Araghchi and Cassis also
discussed bilateral relations, and regional
and international developments.
Araghchi also held other meetings on Tuesday, including with
the EU's foreign policy muppet, Kaja Kallas, Qatari Foreign
Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani,
Ital's Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, & Belarusian
Foreign Minister, Maxim Ryzhenkov.
Complicity in aggression
In the meeting with Tajani, Araghchi described Italy’s hosting of
US military bases - along with any cooperation in preparing for
or carrying out acts of aggression against Iran, as “extremely
dangerous” and tantamount to ---- complicity in aggression.
He said such actions could entail international responsibility
for those states -------- that host or assist in such operations.
On human rights, particularly women’s rights, Araghchi denounced
“the double standards” of some European countries. He said those
who remained silent over the most serious human rights violations
by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories, and who showed
indifference to US and Israeli attacks on the Iranian people,
including in Minab and Lamerd, had no standing to
lecture others on human rights.
He also criticized their support for
the US “economic terrorism”
against the Iranian people.
EU’s appeasement of US bullying
Speaking with Kallas, Araghchi highlighted ---- Iran’s practical
commitment to diplomacy in pursuit of peace and security in
the region. He said repeated US breaches of commitments
had been the sole factor disrupting diplomatic processes.
The Iranian foreign minister also criticized the EU, saying that
in numerous cases it had chosen a path of appeasement
toward US bullying rather than adhering to principles it
claims to uphold, including the rule of law and
respect for human rights.
Such an approach, he said, would “in no way”
serve international peace and security.
Joining hands to counter Western
sanctions on independent nations
Araghchi and his Belarusian counterpart Ryzhenkov discussed the
latest state of bilateral relations, ways to expand economic and
trade cooperation, & regional and international developments.
Araghchi described relations between Iran and Belarus... as
“excellent and growing” and stressed Iran’s determination
to fully implement previous agreements ......and deepen
cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels.
He denounced the West’s unilateral and unlawful sanctions
against independent countries. He stressed the need for
Iran and Belarus to increase coordination and jointly
resist political and economic pressure stemming
from unilateralism.
The Belarusian foreign minister, for his part, expressed
satisfaction with the meeting and reaffirmed Minsk’s
determination to strengthen the “brotherly and
strategic” relationship with Tehran. He also
described safeguarding the UN Charter
and the national sovereignty of states
as a fundamental principle of
international relations.
____________________________________________
Israeli aggression escalates in southern
Lebanon as US-brokered deal yields...
only concessions
September 22nd, 12:15pm
(PressTV)
The US-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon.. has yielded "zero benefits"
for Beirut and only emboldened Israeli aggression, as occupation
forces continue to humiliate the Lebanese Army, raze entire
villages, and expose the hollowness of Washington's
promises......... to restore national sovereignty,
according to the Press TV correspondent.
Reporting from south Lebanon, Hadi Hoteit said that Israeli
forces continued their relentless attacks on southern
Lebanon on Monday, with explosions --- and rising
smoke reported from the Hojer Valley area.
The attacks focused on the centre of the valley, known as
Wadi Asluki, overlooked by the towns of Abrecha and
Majdal Silim.
Israeli artillery shelling and airstrikes --- also hit the Kantara and
Syrian areas a day earlier, despite these regions being labeled
part of the so-called yellow zone.
"The Israeli army is not actually having any material presence on
the ground there by its tanks ...or even its soldiers," Hoteit said.
"The Israeli soldiers and tanks occupying southern Lebanon
are centred in some covered areas in the eastern sector."
Instead of sending troops, Israel is conducting airstrikes on areas
it claims have no Israeli presence, revealing that it cannot claim
complete control ..even over the "yellow zone", Hoteit added.
Terror tactics
Israeli forces also engaged in "terrorist actions" on Monday,
burning civilian homes in the outskirts of Zotar Ashari,
Hoteit reported.
In al-Mansouri, the occupation army has been conducting
"unprecedented" demolitions over the past two weeks,
"destroying entire villages --- without any kind of
respect to any framework agreement with
the Lebanese authorities."
The aggression extends to the Lebanese army itself. Just days ago,
Israeli forces dealt with Lebanese army points in a Christian village
in south Lebanon "in a very humiliating way," Hoteit said, despite
US claims that the Lebanese army is conducting...... a "good
intervention" to disarm the resistance.
Zero benefits for Lebanon
Political actors in Lebanon - who had supported the roles of Prime
Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun in confronting
Hezbollah and disarming the resistance - are now "not very
optimistic," Hoteit said.
"Every act that the US did since the start of the war till now,
and since the US-brokered ceasefire agreement, is only
leading to more concessions from the Lebanese side
and more benefits for the Israeli side ----- with zero
benefits for the Lebanese side," Hoteit reported.
He added that -- even the Lebanese authorities who had
backed US intervention now have nothing to show for it.
"The main enemy for the Lebanese people and the Lebanese army
and the Lebanese government and everyone in Lebanon, not only
the resistance, is the Israeli occupation and the Israeli
aggressors .....who are continuing their expansion
for the yellow zone."
Resistance --- is Lebanon's strength
Hoteit emphasized that the problems in Lebanon are not related
to the weapons of the resistance or its political standpoint
regarding the Israeli occupation.
"The problems in Lebanon need to be solved inside Lebanon, and
the resistance is one of the main strong points of Lebanon in
any political agreement or in any negotiations with any side
in this international community," he said.
The economic situation remains dire across Lebanon, with the
government failing to deliver on its promises of development
and prosperity.
Heavy Israeli drone activity continues unabated, with killer
drones and surveillance aircraft focusing on the Tyre
region and southern Lebanon.
"The entire South Lebanon is having killer drone activities and
surveillance drone activity, but the main focus is the entire
region and the south of the Tyre region," Hoteit said.
The ongoing aggression underscores the failure of the US-
brokered ceasefire to deliver any benefits to Lebanon,
while Israel continues its campaign of destruction
and expansion in the south.
___________________________________________
Sirens, explosions sound in Saudi Arabia’s
Najran .......along its border with Yemen
September 22nd, 10:29am
(PressTV)
Air raid sirens and multiple explosions have sounded in Saudi
Arabia’s southwestern province of Najran along the border
with Yemen, following the purported launch of ballistic
missiles by the Yemeni armed forces in retaliation
for Riyadh’s ongoing aggression and siege on
their homeland.
The General Directorate of Saudi Civil Defense issued emergency
warning alerts via the National Early Warning Platform to
residents across the region on Tuesday, warning of
an immediate potential hazard.
Saudi Civil Defense authorities reportedly instructed residents to
remain calm, stay indoors, and avoid filming the site of attacks.
Local sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that
a series of blasts ripped through the Najran region. The exact
cause of the explosions remains unclear.
‘We will destroy your economy, strike your shelters’:
Top Yemeni commanders warn Saudi Arabia
High-ranking Yemeni military commanders have warned Saudi
Arabia that the country’s armed forces will destroy the
kingdom’s economy ---- and will strike anywhere
Saudi officials might be taking shelter.
Reports said that flights at Abha International Airport
in southwestern Saudi Arabia have been suspended,
following the attacks.
On Saturday, Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense - issued alerts for
potential danger in the capital Riyadh, as well as al-Kharj
and Farasan provinces in the country’s south.
The Yemeni armed forces recently announced their control
over Perim Island, also known as Mayyun Island in Arabic,
strengthening their strategic position around the Bab
al-Mandab Strait, a vital maritime route linking the
Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a blockade on
Yemen and launched a sweeping military campaign, backed by
military, political, and logistical support from the US ------- and
several Western countries.
The war has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis. However, Saudi
Arabia has failed to achieve its stated objective of reinstating a
puppet regime that serves its interests.
________________________________________
US, Israel --- must accept 'a region free
of their evil, criminal presence': IRGC
September 22nd, 5:17am
(PressTV)
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the US
and the Israeli regime must sooner or later accept a
region free of their "evil and criminal presence."
In a Monday statement issued on the occasion of Sacred Defense
Week, marking the 46th anniversary of the beginning of the Iraqi-
imposed war on Iran, the IRGC described the Sacred Defense as
a "brilliant and golden chapter in the generation of national will
and unity" & a "strategic school for defense power generation
and deterrence."
The Corps emphasized that the armed forces, with full readiness
and strategic intelligence, stand with their fingers on the trigger,
prepared to deliver decisive and devastating responses - to the
aggressor enemy.
"Sacred Defense was beyond a military event; it was a workshop
for generating social capital, national cohesion, and strategic
self-belief," the statement read.
"It taught the Iranian nation that true power lies in the depth of faith,
unity of word, and the bond between the leadership and the people.
This teaching has today transformed into a smart, multi-layered
defense system that transcends geographical borders ---- and
creates deterrence ---- in the cognitive, cyber, economic,
and strategic domains."
'False glory of enemy.... shattered'
The IRGC highlighted ------ the "great and historic manifestations" of
Iran's power ..in the devastating waves of True Promise operations
during the second and third US-Israeli-imposed wars, which it said,
"shattered ------- the hollow glory of the US-Zionist enemy and its
supporters and rearranged the region's security arrangements
in favour of the resistance front ---- and the Iranian nation."
Iran's IRGC Navy ---- reaffirmed Iran’s upper hand in the Strait of
Hormuz, warning that any vessel attempting to violate Iranian
authority over the waterway will face consequences.
The statement added, "The strategic management of the Strait of
Hormuz, breaking the glory of arrogant, anti-human, and satanic
powers, and exposing the inability of the domination-seeking
and terrorist US regimes have become undeniable facts.
The world - after these battles - is a different world, a
world --- in which the oppressed nations have come
to believe in their capabilities --- and the arrogant
powers have been placed on a downward slope."
Enemy's shift to hybrid warfare
The IRGC warned that after failing on the military battlefield,
the enemy has turned to hybrid, cognitive, economic, and
media wars.
However, it stressed that the Iranian nation, relying on internal
capacities, a resistance economy, and sacred national unity,
will thwart every conspiracy.
"The armed forces -- especially the proud guards of the Islamic
Revolution, in this all-out battle, stand with their fingers on the
trigger, ready to deliver decisive and devastating responses
to any aggression," the statement said.
IRGC spokesman warns: If - the enemy strikes
2-3 targets, Iran will respond --- by hitting 20.
The IRGC concluded ---- by emphasizing that the US and the Israeli
regime "must understand this truth: that they must sooner or later
submit to a region free of their evil and criminal existence, and
by divine grace, they will have no escape from this fate."
Sacred Defense Week marks the anniversary of the beginning of
the Iran-Iraq war, which began on September 22, 1980, and
lasted eight years.
The war saw Iran withstand a massive military assault, backed
by the global powers, ultimately repelling the aggressor forces.
The IRGC statement comes amid the ongoing US-Israeli war of
aggression against Iran, which began on February 28, 2026,
and has seen Iran's armed forces carry out sustained
retaliatory operations ....across the region.
________________________________________________
Gaza aid rots in warehouses
due to the Israeli blockade
Amman, September 22nd, 5:46am
(Prensa Latina)
Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said today that aid destined
for the Gaza Strip is "spoiling in the warehouses because Israel is
blocking its entrance," the Petra agency reported today.
According to the Jordanian media, Safadi made these statements
during his participation in a seminar on humanitarian diplomacy
held in New York, dedicated --- to the defense of international
humanitarian law.
The meeting was organized by the EU and Ireland and co-hosted
by Jordan, the African Union, Brazil and Canada, according to a
statement from the Jordanian Foreign Ministry.
The foreign minister said that more than two million Palestinians
in Gaza are "trapped in oppression, deprivation and suffering"
because, in his opinion, the international community - does
not use the tools of international law against those who
violate humanitarian norms.
He stressed that the inhabitants of the Strip lack food and
medicine.... "not because of lack of available aid, but
because Israel prevents their entry."
"Aid is being spoiled in warehouses.. because
Israel --- is blocking its entry," he reiterated.
Safadi pointed out that Jordan functioned as a logistics hub for
international aid to Gaza before Israel blocked its access, and
reaffirmed his country's readiness ---- to cooperate with its
partners to ensure an effective humanitarian response.
The minister urged the international community ---- to activate the
mechanisms of international law to curb the increasing number
of violations recorded in more than 100 conflicts around the
world, with special attention ---- to the situation in Gaza.
He also stressed the need for concerted international action
to hold accountable those who violate this set of norms and
warned of the risks of society ........becoming insensitive to
violations of humanitarian law.
In this context, Safadi claimed that Israel destroyed "92 percent
of the buildings and health infrastructure" in Gaza and pointed
out that more than 700,000 Palestinians are deprived of their
right to education.
Since October 8, 2023, Israel has been maintaining an offensive
in the Gaza Strip that, according to the Palestinian authorities,
caused over 73 thousand deaths and 174 thousand wounded
--- and extensive destruction of the enclave's infrastructure.