Image: People hold up a banner as they protest against Israel at the entrance of the International Criminal Court.
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Palestine Action hunger striker
Heba Muraisi --- losing ability
to speak
December 29th, 6:29pm
(PressTV)
A hunger-striking prisoner affiliated with the British pro-
Palestinian group Palestine Action says she is losing
the ability to think clearly and articulate words.
In a statement released by Prisoners for Palestine on Monday,
Heba Muraisi, who is currently on the 57th day of her hunger
strike in a UK prison, said she is growing "weaker as each
day passes" and "I can no longer lie on my side, as it
hurts my face".
"Heba still stands strong but she is well into the danger zone,
is losing the ability to speak and think clearly. She needs to
be near her family right now,” it added.
According to the statement, she was transferred in October
from Brozefield to HMP New Hall prison in Wakefield,
northern England, nearly 100 miles away from her
friends and family in what was described as
"clearly a vindictive act ... to separate her
from other hunger strikers to wear down
her will to resist."
It added that Muraisi has not seen her
family in more than four months.
Meanwhile, pro-Palestine activists on Monday
gathered outside New Hall prison to protest
in solidarity with Muraisi.
Demonstrators are demanding that Muraisi
be moved back to HMP Bronzefield.
Muraisi is among four prisoners who remain on hunger
strike, while two other activists were forced to halt
their protest after being hospitalized due to
deteriorating health.
Eight Palestine Action prisoners face accusations of
break-ins and criminal damage at an Israeli-owned
weapons factory operated by Elbit Systems UK
and at the RAF base in Brize Norton, before
the group’s proscription.
They have been awaiting trial since 2024, but are
not expected to appear before a judge.... until
at least May of next year.
Teuta Hoxha is another hunger striker who is currently
held in HMP Peterborough and has said she is unable
to stand without blacking out -- and is now “virtually
bedridden” as her health worsens due to the strike.
On December 27th --- a group of UN human rights experts
expressed grave concern for the lives and fundamental
rights of Palestine Action prisoners, warning they risk
organ failure and death ------- after seven weeks of
hunger strike.
They urged the United Kingdom to immediately guarantee
appropriate healthcare for all hunger strikers, and engage
in meaningful dialogue and action to address not only
the protestors’ demands, but also underlying rights
violations, and an end to the repression of
Palestine activism.
The United Nations’ appeal for immediate action follows
the statement from attorneys representing eight
hunger-striking prisoners, indicating that the
UK’s Justice Secretary, David Lammy,
had declined their request for
urgent negotiations.
The attorneys are going to initiate legal proceedings
against the UK government for its refusal to engage
in discussions with them.
The hunger strikers’ demands include immediate bail,
the right to a fair trial, and the de-proscription of
Palestine Action, which condemns the UK
government over complicity in Israel’s
war crimes in Gaza.
_______________________________
Ben Gvir promotes violence, loosens
gun control in Kiryat Shmona
December 29th, 12:50pm
(Al Mayadeen English)
Itamar Ben Gvir announces city-wide firearms eligibility
in Kiryat Shmona, under the guise of security needs
after the Hezbollah war.
Israeli far-right Police Minister Itamar Ben Gvir announced
that illegal settlers in Kiryat Shmona will be granted
broad eligibility for private firearms licenses
---- reflecting the occupation’s growing
reliance on settler militarization.
Speaking during a faction meeting of his extremist Otzma
Yehudit party on December 29, 2025, Ben Gvir said the
occupation government --- had decided to designate
nearly all of Kiryat Shmona as a firearms-eligible
zone, excluding only its industrial area.
The policy will allow settlers who remain in the settlement to
legally arm themselves under the pretext of self-defense,
alongside an expanded police presence.
The announcement comes after months of cross-border operations
carried out by the Lebanese Resistance, Hezbollah, which came
in defense of Gaza. Nearly all of Kiryat Shmona’s 24,000
residents were evacuated during the fighting, yet more
than a year ......after a ceasefire was reached in late
November 2024, only around 60% have returned.
Roughly half of the settlement’s businesses remain closed.
Rather than addressing the economic collapse and insecurity
created by repeated Israeli wars, Ben Gvir framed the
expansion of gun access as a solution, declaring
that the settlement must “grow and flourish,”
while boasting of 280 million shekels
allocated to it ----- by a fellow
far-right minister.
Expansion of settler armament
The decision fits within a broader campaign led by Ben Gvir to flood
"Israel" with weapons. Since October 7, 2023, gun permit requests
have surged, and the Police Ministry granted temporary approval
authority to political appointees and parliamentary staff, some
of whom were later investigated .....for improperly issuing
firearms licenses.
By September, Ben Gvir claimed that roughly 230,000 new gun
licenses -- had been issued under his tenure. While he insists
the policy has improved security, rights groups, particularly
women’s organizations, warn that the proliferation of
firearms .......has increased the risk of domestic
violence and harm.
The loosening of gun regulations is expected to have far‑
reaching consequences beyond the northern border.
With fewer restrictions, the potential for lethal
attacks on Palestinians, land seizures, and
intimidation campaigns may increase and
deepen a climate of settler impunity and
escalating violence ----------- with military
protection against civilian populations
under occupation.
In November, the Palestinian Authority’s Commission against
the Wall and Settlements reported that Israeli occupation
forces and settlers --- carried out a total of 2,350 attacks
in the occupied West Bank during October, continuing
a relentless campaign ------ of violence against
Palestinians, their land, and property.
According to Mu’ayyad Sha’ban, head of the commission,
1,584 of the attacks were committed by the occupation
forces, while settlers were responsible for 766 attacks.
Source: Israeli media
__________________________________________
Iran Armed Forces ----- reaffirm readiness,
pledge firm response to any hostile act
December 29th, 11:56am
(PressTV)
The General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces has pledged
that the military units will not allow any threat to Iran’s
security or its people, warning that any renewed
hostile act against the country will be met with
a far harsher, more crushing, and more
damaging response than in the past.
In a statement on Monday to mark the 16th anniversary of the 2009
nationwide rallies in support of the Islamic establishment in Iran
that were held on the 9th of the Persian calendar month of Dey,
the General Staff described the demonstrations as a
manifestation of public vigilance, unity, and
loyalty to the system.
The statement highlighted how the Iranian nation successfully
overcame intricate schemes by foreign adversaries and their
internal allies, exhibiting the resilience and strength of the
country’s political system, throughout crises.
The General Staff emphasized that ongoing pressures, including
sanctions, media campaigns, and psychological warfare,
will not weaken Iran.
It emphasized that, under the guidance of the Leader of the Islamic
Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Iranian people
will continue to resist external pressure with determination.
The General Staff reassured the Iranian nation that the devoted
servicemen of the Armed Forces --- with full readiness and
authority, will not allow any harm to be inflicted on the
country or the security of the people.
It warned that any future miscalculation by enemies, would
result in far more forceful, crushing, and costly retaliation.
Separately, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said
in a statement -- that enemies are seeking to sow the seeds
of sedition within Iranian society through cognitive warfare
----- psychological operations, falsified narratives, fear-
mongering, and the encouragement of capitulation
to them.
The IRGC characterized the 12-day Israeli-US war of aggression
against Iran in June as an outstanding example of a hybrid
threat that had broad security, psychological, and
economic dimensions ----- much beyond a
military confrontation.
It warned against any attempts to undermine public trust, noting
that any such action is in line with the objectives of arrogant
global powers, led by the United States and Israel.
The IRGC underlined the need for unanimity among the Iranian
nation, intellectuals, and authorities in order to safeguard the
country's security and maintain its progress.
The elite force warned enemies against any miscalculation,
emphasizing that it will mightily guard Iran’s independence,
security, dignity, and authority, against any act of sedition,
cognitive warfare, security threat or territorial aggression.
__________________________________________
General Soleimani was 'architect of
Axis of Resistance’ in region:
FM Araghchi
December 29th, 10:39am
(PressTV)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has lauded the late
anti-terror commander martyr Lieutenant General Qassem
Soleimani as the “architect of the Axis of Resistance”
in the region.
Araghchi made the remark in an address to an international
conference to commemorate the legacy of the late Iranian
commander, who was assassinated by the US ------- in
January 2020.
"Hajj Qassem was the architect of the ‘Axis of Resistance’
in the region. The legacy of the architecture - has gone
far beyond the current policies - as well as practical
approaches in foreign policy,” he said.
At the current sensitive juncture in world history, in which
the international order has declined from a supposedly
law-based system into an order based on force, Iran’s
justice-seeking policy --- is still confronting bullying,
and the arrogant powers, he added.
He emphasized that Iran will continue its moral, political,
and legal support for the discourse of resistance.
The top Iranian diplomat said .....many envisage the future of
the region to be under Israel’s "unquestionable domination"
but the realities of the region and the world show that
“resistance has become an undeniable geopolitical
reality and one of the main influential players in
shaping the future order" of the West
Asia region.
Such an order should be based on the free will of regional
nations, respect for the countries’ national sovereignty,
justice, and bilateral and multilateral cooperation,
rather than bullying and the plots of extra-
regional powers, Araghchi pointed out.
General Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s
Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and Abu Mahdi
al-Muhandis - the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular
Mobilization Units (PMU), and their companions, were
assassinated in a US drone strike authorized by then
-US President Donald Trump near the Iraqi capital
Baghdad’s International Airport on Jan. 3, 2020.
Both commanders were highly revered across West Asia
because of their key role in fighting the Daesh Takfiri
terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq
and Syria.
Addressing the conference, General Soleimani’s daughter,
Zeinab, said his father regarded resistance as a means
to halt unbridled violence.
She added that regional experience attests to the fact that
the approach of General Soleimani and Iran’s regional
policy were fundamentally directed toward
“curtailing violence --- and preventing a
chain collapse” of those countries
in unstable situations.
She noted that diplomacy was the key to a more humane and
stable order in a crisis-ridden region, emphasizing that the
developments of the past six years following General
Soleimani’s assassination show that his approach
was a reflection of the Islamic Republic’s
macro strategy.
She said General Soleimani’s approach has been pursued by his
companions after his assassination and will be regenerated as
the viable model for curbing violence and defending human
order while various forms of occupation, aggression, and
destabilization persist in the region.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said resistance
shouldn't be understood solely as an ideal or objective, but rather
as a mindset, and an intellectual driving force in the face of the
arrogant and hegemonic powers.
"Such a reality cannot be obliterated by bombardment,
is not self-centred, and does not fade away with the
martyrdom of its leaders,” he added.
____________________________________________
UN rapporteur Albanese says Georgetown
severed ties over exposing Israeli
genocide, US complicity
December 29th, 10:14am
(PressTV)
Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur for the occupied
Palestinian territories, says Georgetown University’s move to end
her 10-year affiliation is a fallout from US sanctions imposed for
her work exposing Israel’s genocide in Gaza --------- and US
business complicity.
“Georgetown’s decision to end my 10-year-old affiliation is yet another
fallout of the sanctions the US imposed on me last July for exposing
Israel’s genocide and the complicity of US businesses,” Albanese
wrote in a post on X on Monday.
“Any other explanation is the usual laughable propaganda
of the pro-genocide minions,” she added.
Georgetown University has announced that it is no longer associated
with Albanese, who was sanctioned by the US ....earlier this year.
“Francesca Albanese is no longer affiliated with Georgetown
University,” Anna Maria Mayda, director of the Institute for
the Study of International Migration, said.
“US institutions are prohibited by federal law from affiliating
with individuals subject to US sanctions,” she added.
Albanese was an affiliated scholar at Georgetown’s School of
Foreign Service. That role didn’t make her a Georgetown
employee, but it gave her access to school resources
and certain opportunities for collaboration.
UN Watch, the Geneva-based NGO that monitors the United
Nations, said earlier in the week that Georgetown
University had removed Albanese from
its list of affiliated scholars.
On 30 June, Albanese wrote a report naming over 60 companies,
including major US technology firms such as Google, Amazon,
and Microsoft, which she said ---------- were involved in “the
transformation of Israel’s economy of occupation
to an economy of genocide.”
The Italian lawyer’s report was cited by US Secretary of State
Marco Rubio as a key reason for her sanctioning by the US.
Since October 2023, the Israeli regime has killed tens of thousands
of Palestinians — most of them women and children — amid
widespread destruction and blockade-induced starvation.
Legal experts and rights groups warn that sanctioning investigators
like Albanese sets a dangerous precedent and weakens
international law at a time when accountability
is urgently needed.
__________________________________________
West-funded body ...conspired against
EU anti-fraud office after corruption
findings: Report
December 29th, 9:46am
(PressTV)
Leaked documents have indicated that the so-called Commission
for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA), a Western
government–funded organization active during the Syria
crisis, pursued a covert campaign aimed at
undermining - and intimidating - the EU’s
financial regulators... after they found
it culpable of corruption.
The Grayzone, an investigative outlet, reviewed the documents
and published a report concerning them, on Sunday.
According to the documents, CIJA’s founder and executive director,
William “Bill” Wiley, sought to infiltrate and discredit officials at the
EU’s Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF (from the French Office européen de
lutte antifraude)) and the European Commission following OLAF
findings that determined that CIJA and its sister company,
Tsamota ------- had been engaging in unethical and
fraudulent practices.
The effort reportedly included plans to collect internal
communications, gather compromising information
on EU officials, and pressure regulators into
removing CIJA from an EU blacklist.
CIJA, established in 2011 by former Western intelligence and
military figures, describes itself as a non-governmental
organization focused on collecting evidence for
“criminal justice efforts” worldwide.
Throughout the crisis that began engulfing Syria in 2011, during
which Western-informed riots and then militancy and Takfiri
terrorism wrought havoc on the Arab country, the
organization’s work on what it would call
“abuses” ......by the Syrian government
earned praise from senior US officials
and extensive positive coverage in
major Western media outlets.
The organization itself has acknowledged receiving funding
from Western governments ----- including the US State Dept.
OLAF has placed CIJA on an EU blacklist after investigations
dating back to at least 2015 – a development that has gone
unreported in much of the English-language media.
In that year, OLAF raided CIJA’s registered headquarters, and
found no evidence that the organization was operating there.
Subsequent OLAF rulings in 2017 and 2020 concluded that CIJA
and Tsamota, had engaged in serious financial irregularities,
including falsified documents, irregular invoices ---- and the
misuse of EU funds tied to EU-backed rule-of-law projects.
Leaked internal CIJA papers..... show Wiley responded by
organizing what he described as an “ongoing operation”
against OLAF.
The documents outline plans to gather human intelligence, obtain
internal OLAF emails, and collect information that senior
European Commission officials - could be “intimidated
by,” with the aim of securing a “discrete settlement”
and ending OLAF scrutiny.
The files also reveal that Wiley solicited assistance from Ian Baharie,
a veteran of Britain’s MI6 intelligence service, seeking advice on
approaching ''targets'' and conducting interviews. Baharie
expressed confusion and skepticism about the plans,
questioning the absence of a clear operational
strategy ------ and pressing Wiley to clarify
his objectives.
Central to CIJA’s efforts was a proposed sting operation
against a former Tsamota employee, Cinzia Verzeletti,
whom Wiley accused of acting as an OLAF source.
Under a pseudonym, Wiley contacted Verzeletti repeatedly,
alleging she had ties to foreign intelligence and warning
of potential legal and reputational consequences --- if
she failed to cooperate. The leaked notes describe
plans to pressure her into an in-person meeting
and extract information that could be used
against OLAF officials.
The documents further show that Wiley explored hiring private
cyber firms to obtain sensitive data on OLAF staff and
speculated about recruiting sources inside EU
institutions - to access confidential files. He
argued that the European Commission was
vulnerable to reputational damage --- and
could be ''compelled'' to reach a quiet
settlement if allegations of internal
wrongdoing were raised.
Despite these efforts, OLAF’s press releases detailing fraud
findings related to CIJA and Tsamota, remain online, and
there is no indication ----- that the EU blacklist has been
lifted or that regulators have agreed to any settlement.
Separately - CIJA’s methods have come under renewed scrutiny
following a May 2024 ruling by a Swedish court, that acquitted
a Syrian man accused of war crimes in a case built largely on
CIJA-provided evidence. Judges found the organization’s
dossier to have extremely limited probative value and
raised concerns about inconsistencies and changes
in witness testimony. An EU-funded investigation
later reported that CIJA investigators had
elicited testimony with ''inducements''
and tampered with statements.
CIJA has played a prominent role in so-called war crimes
investigations targeting Syria and has supported
prosecutions in multiple countries.
The leaked files, however, depict an organization that, when
faced with EU fraud findings -- sought to counter regulators
through covert pressure tactics rather than legal appeals.
_____________________________________
The Year That Was: ‘Warmongers’ who
mocked intl. law to aid, abet, prop up
wars ---- in 2025
December 29th, 11:30am
by Maryam Qarehgozlou
(PressTV)
From Gaza to Caracas, from Tehran to Beirut, wars do not erupt in
a vacuum. They are designed, justified, funded, and normalized
by people in positions of power who turn mass death into
policy, ideology into weaponry, and diplomacy into
cover for extermination.
Over the past two years, tens of thousands of civilians - overwhelmingly
Palestinians - have been killed, maimed, starved, or displaced, not only
by bombs and bullets ------- but by speeches, vetoes, arms licenses,
financial donations, intelligence sharing, and media propaganda.
This is not merely the story of one war or one regime. It is the story of a
transatlantic and global network of politicians, billionaires, lobbyists,
and ideologues who have actively aided and defended genocide in
Gaza and fueled wars elsewhere — from Iran and Yemen to
Venezuela and beyond.
Through direct military support, diplomatic shielding, economic pressure,
and rhetorical dehumanization, these war-mongering actors have helped
transform international law into a hollow slogan and mass killing into an
acceptable tool of policy.
As 2025 draws to a close, here is the list of figures — across
governments, parties, and continents — whose actions,
remarks, and advocacy.... materially contributed to
wars and mass killings this year.
They are the ones who planned, choreographed, enabled,
and facilitated war crimes, and then used their power
and influence to conceal them.
Donald Trump
If there is a chief warmonger of this year, US President Donald
Trump occupies that position ----- with little to no competition.
His record on Gaza alone, where over 71,000 Palestinians, most
of them women and children ------ have been killed by the Israeli
regime, is a case study in how genocide becomes state policy.
Trump openly promoted plans to remove Palestinians from their
homeland, brushed aside Israel’s relentless violations of the
ceasefire, and framed genocide as a strategic necessity.
Beyond Gaza, Trump’s warmongering extended across continents.
His so-called “war on drugs” against Venezuela functioned
as a thinly veiled "regime-change" operation - aimed at
embezzling the country's massive oil reserves.
In West Asia, he engaged in direct and unlawful confrontation with Iran,
including dastardly attacks on its nuclear sites -- while offering Israel
unconditional backing for its military aggression against the Islamic
Republic, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Palestine — both militarily
and diplomatically.
Under Trump ---- war was not a failure of
diplomacy; it was its intended outcome.
Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands as one of
the most enduring institutional warmongers in modern
history, and it only became worse ---- this year.
His rule has been defined by endless war — most catastrophically
in Gaza, tens of thousands of women and children have been
killed under his command, but also across the occupied
West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and through
repeated escalations with Iran.
Beyond Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, he ordered an unjustified
and illegal military aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran
in June this year, which led to the martyrdom of 1,000+ people.
Netanyahu’s vision extends beyond immediate battlefields.
His rhetoric and policies have consistently aligned with expansionist
ideas associated with “Greater Israel,” signaling his ambitions of
occupation and domination beyond Palestine.
Civilian deaths, under Netanyahu, are not
collateral damage: but... a governing tool.
Itamar Ben-Gvir
Few political figures in the world embody open,
unapologetic warmongering ---- as clearly as
hawkish Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Even after Israel was forced into a ceasefire with Hamas
in October, Ben-Gvir immediately demanded a return to
full-scale war, warning Netanyahu that restraint itself
was dangerous.
He has explicitly called for the full occupation of Gaza, the
complete halt of humanitarian aid, and the forced
migration of Palestinians — policies that meet
every legal definition of ethnic cleansing.
His statements that Gaza should be “flattened” and that
negotiations are a “terrible mistake” reveal a man for
whom extermination is not an unintended
consequence.... but the objective.
Inside Israeli prisons, human rights groups describe his policies
against Palestinian abductees as a continuation of the war by
other means —— through torture, medical neglect, and
systematic dehumanization.
He not only backed the regime's aggression
against Iran but also celebrated it.
Keir Starmer
UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, represents a more sanitized,
technocratic form of Western warmongering: one that hides
behind legal language -------- while enabling mass killing.
Under his leadership, the UK licensed more military equipment
exports to Israeli-occupied territories in three months --- than
the previous Conservative government approved in 4 years.
Between October and December 2024, the Labour government
approved £127.6 million worth of single-issue military export
licenses to Israeli-occupied territories.
The total value of military equipment exports approved
under the Conservative government for 2020-2023
was approximately £115 million.
Starmer’s government, also allowed British intelligence
infrastructure to be used directly in Israel’s genocidal
war on Gaza.
Royal Air Force (RAF) surveillance flights from Cyprus
mapped the destruction of Gaza hundreds of times,
turning Britain into an operational partner rather
than a passive observer.
Welcoming Israeli President... Isaac Herzog — known for
his utterly genocidal rhetoric — into Downing Street in
September was not diplomacy; it was endorsement.
He also refused to condemn Israel's aggression against Iran
and went on ---- to lead the campaign to trigger so-called
"snapback" sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
Friedrich Merz
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz revealed the moral collapse
of Western leaders when he described Israel’s unprovoked
aggression against Iran in June as “dirty work” done on
behalf of the West.
The phrase was revealing: war outsourced,
bloodshed subcontracted.
Although his government claimed to have briefly paused
arms exports to the Israeli-occupied territories in June,
the resumption of weapons sales after the Gaza
ceasefire in October confirmed - that concern
for civilians was never the priority.
While much of the world moved toward recognizing
Palestine amid genocide, Merz refused.
The flood of criminal complaints, for his complicity in war
crimes in Gaza, reflects the growing recognition ---- that
bureaucratic language does not absolve responsibility.
Javier Milei
President Javier Milei imported fanatical warmongering into
Argentina’s foreign policy, proudly declaring himself a
“fanatic of Israel” while Gaza burned.
He aligned himself fully with Netanyahu, rejected International
Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli regime leaders,
and vowed to move Argentina’s embassy to occupied al-Quds.
At home, his hawkish stance on the Israeli-American genocide
triggered mass protests, with Argentines rejecting their
government’s complicity in genocide.
Milei’s rhetoric — branding Hamas “modern Nazism” while
ignoring Palestinian extermination—served one function:
moral cover for mass killing.
He also supported Israel's military assault against Iran and claimed
that Iran was an "enemy" of Argentina, yet again proving his war-
mongering credentials.
Miriam Adelson
Israeli-American billionaire and major political donor to Republican
politicians, Miriam Adelson represents the financial architecture
of warmongering.
Through enormous political donations, particularly to Trump, she
has helped shape US policy -- in favour of Gaza genocide, West
Bank annexation, settlement expansion, and unconditional
support for Israel.
Her dehumanization of Gaza protesters — suggesting they “should
be dead to us” — is not rhetorical excess, but ideological clarity
of where she stands.
Adelson’s media empire has functioned as a propaganda arm for
Netanyahu, while her funding of illegal settlements ties her
directly to material violations of international law.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called
on US politicians to reject donations from Adelson,
describing her an “Israel First” donor who
supports genocide.
Adelson and her late husband, Sheldon Adelson, were named in
a lawsuit by Palestinian and Palestinian-American plaintiffs for
being co-conspirators in a plot to remove non-Jews from
occupied territories and aiding in war crimes,
including genocide.
Her actions underscore the reality that genocide
requires patrons .....as much as generals.
Maria Corina Machado
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado’s case
illustrates how warmongering can be laundered... through
both actions and behaviour.
A vocal supporter of Israel’s genocidal onslaught on Gaza,
she praised Netanyahu’s actions and pledged to align
Venezuela with US-Israeli regional strategy.
Machado even stated that, if elected president of Venezuela,
she would move the Venezuelan embassy from Tel Aviv
to occupied al-Quds.
Her political party, Vente Venezuela, signed a strategic
cooperation agreement with Netanyahu’s Likud Party
in 2020 ----- to strengthen relations on political,
ideological, and security matters.
She advocates for US military intervention
to overthrow the Nicolas Maduro
government in Venezuela.
Her advocacy for foreign military intervention in Venezuela
reveals a consistent worldview: war ------- as a legitimate
political tool.
When she received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025, activists
rightly condemned the award as a grotesque contradiction
— honouring a figure whose politics normalize sanctions,
coups, and genocide.
Reza Pahlavi
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s deposed monarch, has
increasingly positioned himself as a proxy warmonger,
aligning his political ambitions .....with Israel’s
regional wars.
Following the Hamas-led operation of October 7, 2023 --- and
Israel’s ensuing onslaught on Gaza, Pahlavi openly backed
Israel’s devastating bombardment of the besieged
territory, echoing narratives that framed mass
civilian death as... a ''strategic necessity''.
His warmongering posture extended beyond Gaza and
included that country .....that he calls his own.
Pahlavi publicly supported Israel’s military aggression against
Iran in June, viewing Israeli strikes as an opportunity to
weaken the Islamic Republic ---- regardless of the
civilian cost.
His visits to Israeli-occupied territories in 2023 and again in
2025 — where he met figures including Netanyahu — were
widely publicized and interpreted as an alignment with
Israel’s military agenda.
A 2025 report further revealed, that Israeli regime-linked sources
launched Persian-language social media campaigns, using fake
accounts and AI-generated content, portraying Pahlavi as
Iran’s leading opposition figure, an attempt that failed
to generate meaningful domestic support.
Lindsey Graham
US Senator Lindsey Graham has long functioned as one of the
loudest and most dangerous warmongers in US politics,
particularly when it comes to Gaza and Iran.
Despite mounting evidence from international agencies, UN
experts, and human rights organizations that Israel’s war
on Gaza constitutes genocide, Graham has repeatedly
denied the charge, brazenly claiming that Israel has
the capacity to commit genocide but “chooses
not to.”
His rhetoric has gone far beyond denial. Graham urged Israel to
do “whatever the hell you have to do” to win, even invoking the
US nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as historical
justification for overwhelming force.
He has said that Washington should supply Israel with whatever
bombs are necessary to “finish the job,” language that treats
civilian annihilation as an acceptable military outcome.
Graham has likened Gaza to post–World War II Tokyo and Berlin,
insisting that it must be taken “by force” ......and rebuilt from
scratch — after total destruction — to prevent the return
of resistance.
He has aggressively defended Netanyahu against international
legal accountability, threatening sanctions against US allies
that dare to enforce ICC arrest warrants.
Beyond Gaza, Graham has consistently advocated direct US
military action against Iran, praising strikes on Iranian
nuclear sites as “historic” and calling openly for the
destruction of Iran’s oil facilities and for “regime
change” in Tehran.
Howard Kohr
Howard Kohr, the longtime CEO of AIPAC (American Israel Public
Affairs Committee), the notorious Zionist lobby group in the US,
represents institutional warmongering at its worst.
For nearly three decades, Kohr oversaw the transformation
of AIPAC into one of the most powerful lobbying forces in
Washington, manufacturing bipartisan consensus in
favour of unconditional support for the Israeli
occupation and genocide — no matter
the scale of violence.
Under Kohr’s leadership, AIPAC perfected the art of shielding Israel
from accountability, even as the International Court of Justice
(ICJ) ruled it “plausible” in 2024 that Israel violated the
Genocide Convention in Gaza.
Kohr dismissed such findings as “blood libel,” insisting Israel made
“extraordinary efforts” to avoid civilian harm while over 70,000
Palestinians - most of them women and children - were killed.
He was a central architect of efforts to secure billions in annual US
military aid for Israel and consistently opposed any conditions on
that aid ....during the Gaza genocide.
Throughout his tenure, Kohr framed Iran as the ultimate threat,
lobbying relentlessly for confrontation --- while presenting
permanent war as a cornerstone of US interests.
Jonathan Greenblatt
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, embodies a
discursive form of warmongering — one that suppresses opposition,
delegitimizes dissent, and clears the ideological space....
for mass violence.
While presenting the ADL as a civil rights organization --- Greenblatt
has turned it into a lobbying and pressure group that aggressively
defends Israeli genocide and settler-colonialism.
With an annual budget... approaching $100 million, the ADL has worked
closely with other US-based Zionist lobbying groups to justify Israel’s
expansion into occupied al-Quds and the West Bank, oppose the
return of Palestinian refugees, and support US military
interventionism across West Asia.
ADL routinely smears critics of Zionism as
extremists, terrorists, or antisemites.
Greenblatt has denied that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza,
instead blaming Hamas for all the destruction, and compared
student protesters and anti-war activists ---- to ISIS and al-
Qaeda—a comparison condemned by civil liberties
groups ---- as reckless and dangerous.
By weaponizing accusations of antisemitism, Greenblatt
has helped silence opposition and normalize policies
that enable genocide.
He has also led the smear campaign against Iranian media
outlets, particularly Press TV, falsely accusing it of anti-
semitism in order to persuade Western governments
to impose more sanctions on the Islamic Republic
of Iran's leading international media network.
Mike Pompeo
Mike Pompeo’s career...... illustrates the fusion
of religious zeal and warmongering statecraft.
As CIA director and later Secretary of State under Trump's
first administration, Pompeo was a chief architect of the
“maximum pressure” campaign against Iran,
withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal
and imposing unilateral sanctions
that devastated civilian life.
He played a central role in the 2020 assassination of Iranian anti-
terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, an
act that brought the region to the brink of full-scale war.
After Israel’s June aggression against Iran - which killed at
least 1,000 civilians - Pompeo described the strikes, as
“righteous” and “absolutely necessary,” later urging
continued attacks whenever Iran attempted to
rebuild its nuclear infrastructure.
On Gaza, Pompeo has consistently embraced a maximalist war
position, claiming throughout 2025 that the only solution is
the “crushing” and total elimination of Hamas.
He has derided ceasefire efforts as “appeasement,” framing
diplomacy itself .....as a threat to US and Israeli dominance.
Alex Karp
Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir, a surveillance company, represents
algorithmic warmongering, where genocide is facilitated
through data, surveillance, and AI-powered targeting.
Palantir’s technology has been used by the Israeli military
during the Gaza genocide, making the company a focal
point of global protests.
When confronted by protesters lashing out at Palantir for
enabling the killing of Palestinians, Karp responded
dismissively, claiming the victims were “mostly
terrorists,” and referring to pro-Palestine
demonstrators .....as “useful idiots”
for Hamas.
He has equated support for Israel with support for “the West”
and held Palantir board meetings in Tel Aviv as a symbolic
show of allegiance for the genocidal regime.
Palantir’s “strategic partnership” with Israel’s ministry of
military affairs provides technology explicitly designed
for war-related missions ------ making it an integral
component of Israel’s military infrastructure
and its mass killing of Palestinians.
Ben Shapiro
Ben Shapiro’s role in this ecosystem is one of narrative
warmongering, where genocide is justified through
relentless and incoherent media repetition.
A conservative commentator with a vast audience, Shapiro
has long advocated “peace through strength” and framed
Israeli aggression against Iran and Gaza as both moral
and necessary.
Since the start of the genocidal war on Gaza in late 2023,
Shapiro has defended the Israeli military aggression
without qualification, condemned Palestinian
resistance movements, and dismissed
civilian casualties caused by Israeli
bombardment as ''unavoidable''.
In April 2025, Israel honoured him at its official Independence Day
ceremony, with Transportation Minister Miri Regev calling him
“one of Israel’s greatest supporters in the world” ------- a
recognition of his role in legitimizing war from afar.
These figures represent different faces of the same warmongering
ecosystem — one that sanitizes mass death, rewards impunity,
and treats entire populations as ......expendable.
______________________________________
Israeli forces storm Syrian village
in Quneitra countryside,
abduct five youths
December 29th, 7:57am
(PressTV)
Israeli forces have infiltrated an area in the southwestern Syrian
province of Quneitra and abducted five young men, in the
latest violation of the country’s sovereignty.
The public al-Ikhbariyah Syria television news channel reported
that the troops kidnapped the youths, who hailed from Dara’a,
while they were in the village of Kudna to search for wild
mushrooms on agricultural land.
The development came a day after Israeli troops raided the town
of Jabata al-Khashab in the northern Quneitra countryside with
six military vehicles ........accompanied by an armoured
personnel carrier.
Israeli machine gunfire ---- targeted Eastern Tal
al-Ahmar in the southern Quneitra countryside.
On Friday, Israeli forces fired medium-calibre machine guns
from the Western Tal Ahmar position toward the Eastern
Tal Ahmar region. No casualties were reported.
Israeli media outlets, citing a Syrian source close to the leader
of the ruling Haya’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime, Mohammad
al-Jolani, reported on December 25 that the Israeli and HTS
regimes have made “significant progress” toward reaching
a security agreement that could be signed “soon.”
Speaking with i24NEWS television channel, the unnamed source
attributed the progress toward an agreement to US President
Donald Trump, noting that it will reportedly feature a
diplomatic annex.
The agreement is expected to be signed during
a high-level HTS-Israeli summit ---- held in an
undisclosed location in Europe.
The Syrian source suggested it was possible that Jolani,
who once commanded al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria...
might personally sign the agreement with Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Since the fall of the former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s
government last year in December, the Israeli military --- has
been conducting airstrikes targeting military installations,
facilities, and arsenals.. previously operated by Syria’s
now-defunct army.
Israel has faced widespread criticism for ending the 1974
ceasefire agreement with Syria and taking advantage of
the chaos in the war-torn nation --- to seize territory.
Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), a US-based
war monitor, has recently revealed... that the Israeli military
has carried out 600+ attacks on Syria over the past year.
Despite the HTS’s pledges of cooperation with Tel Aviv,
Israel has remained unwilling to withdraw from Syria.
___________________________________
Pentagon loses track of billions in taxpayer-funded
arms sent to Israel during Gaza genocide: Report
December 29th, 7:12am
(PressTV)
The Pentagon has lost track of billions of dollars in taxpayer-
funded weapons shipped to the Israeli regime during the
Gaza genocide, according to an audit by the US
Department of War’s Office of Inspector
General (IG).
The audit... released last week, reviewed how US military agencies
monitored weapons transfers to Israel after the occupying regime
launched its October 7, 2023, genocidal war on Gaza.
It found that the Pentagon tracked only 44 percent of the $13.4
billion in military aid sent to Israel since the war began.
Before the genocide --- oversight stood at 69 percent. This means
the US authorities cannot account for roughly $7.5 billion worth
of US weapons - now in Israel’s possession, the IG said.
The report revealed that 42 weapons shipments were not tracked
at all. These deliveries included more than four million munitions,
yet investigators found no records, verification, or accountability
mechanisms tied to them.
The IG blamed the oversight failures on staffing shortages and
changes in Israel’s operational environment, citing “combat
conditions” during the Gaza genocide as a major factor.
The watchdog warned: that lax monitoring increases the risk of
sensitive US weapons technology falling into what it described
as "hostile" hands.
It said adversaries who gain access to these arms could study and
exploit US military systems..... weakening the US’ battlefield
advantage and endangering both US forces and allies.
Despite the scale of the transfers, the audit did not identify the
specific weapons involved, with large sections of the report
remaining redacted, further limiting public scrutiny over
how US arms are being used in Gaza.
Under the Arms Export Control Act, federal law requires strict
end-use monitoring of weapons sold or transferred abroad.
The IG concluded that both US Central Command (USCENTCOM)
and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) failed to
properly oversee the weapons programs in Israel.
The IG noted that similar tracking failures occurred during the US
wars in Iraq between 2003 and 2017, underscoring a long-
standing pattern of negligence when US weapons
are used in large-scale conflicts.
The Pentagon has also not properly tracked $1 billion
worth of military equipment sent to Ukraine,
Since the start of the Gaza genocide, carried out with extensive
US taxpayer support, the Israeli regime --- has killed more than
71,000 Palestinians ---- and wounded over 171,000 others,
the majority of them women and children.
________________________________________
Iran FM ------- voices support for Yemen's territorial
integrity in talks with Saudi, Emirati counterparts
December 29th, 6:52am
(PressTV)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Yemen’s unity
and territorial integrity must be preserved --- amid an
escalation of tensions in the southern parts of
the Arab country.
Araghchi made the remark in separate phone calls on Sunday with
foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates,
Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al
Nahyan, respectively.
The Iranian foreign minister told his Saudi counterpart that a
political roadmap, envisaging a ceasefire and a broader
negotiated settlement in the coming months, must
be implemented.
In his remarks, Araghchi also condemned Israel’s aggression
against Lebanon and said the international community and
the guarantors of the ceasefire deal ---- shoulder the
responsibility ---- to stop the regime’s strikes
and crimes against the Lebanese people.
The Saudi foreign minister -- for his part -- emphasized the
importance of continued consultations and cooperation
among regional countries to preserve peace & stability.
Farhan said the Israeli regime must be held
accountable for its atrocities in the region.
The top Iranian and Saudi diplomats also discussed
mutual relations and international issues.
In his talks with Al Nahyan, the Iranian foreign minister called
on all regional countries to strive to maintain unity and
integrity in Yemen and help the realization of the
legitimate demands of the Yemeni people.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran believes the solution to the Yemen
crisis is through a Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue, centred on the
unity and territorial integrity of the country,”
Araghchi said.
The Emirati foreign minister emphasized the importance of
maintaining peace and stability in Yemen and across the
region, outlining his country’s de-escalation efforts.
The two ministers hailed their growing mutual relations and
urged both sides to pursue the issues of common interest.
On Sunday, Araghchi also held phone talks with Acting Minister
of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Yemen’s Government of
Change and Construction, Abdulwahid Abu Ras, and Qatari
Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin
Jassim Al Thani.
He told Abu Ras that all Yemeni parties and groups must engage in
dialogue and interaction to neutralize the enemies’ plot aimed at
weakening and disintegrating Yemen.
Araghchi and Qatar’s foreign Minister, who also serves as prime
minister, also emphasized the importance of preserving
Yemen’s territorial integrity and unity --- amid
escalating clashes in the south.
_______________________________________________
Hezbollah’s Sheikh Qassem to Enemies:
“Do Your Worst, We Won’t Bow”
December 28th, 3:45pm
(al Manar)
Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem stated on Sunday
that the disarmament of the resistance is an Israeli-US scheme,
stressing that Hezbollah won’t bow to threats.
In a memorial service in tribute of late Hezbollah official Mohammad
Yaghi (Abu Salim), Sheikh Qassem said Lebanon has been fully
committed to the 2024 ceasefire deal, unlike the Israeli
enemy which has been proceeding with its
nonstop attacks.
He slammed the Lebanese Government for offering “concessions
for nothing,” affirming that the Israeli enemy must stop its
attacks before shifting to the so-called phase two
of the agreement.
Hitting back at Israeli-US threats, the Hezbollah S.G. addressed
the enemies as saying: “Do your worst, we won’t surrender.”
In this context, Sheikh Qassem warned that “there
will be no Lebanon left --------- if its south is lost.”
“We in Hezbollah will remain strong and courageous defenders, no
matter the difficulties and the sacrifices,” his eminence stated.
Abu Salim and Path of Resistance
Paying tribute to late Hezbollah official Hajj Mohammad Yaghi,
Sheikh Qassem said the resistance was Abu Salim’s path
throughout his entire life.
“Abu Salim Yaghi’s first role models were Grand Ayatollah
Sayyed Mohammad Baqer Al-Sadr, Imam Sayyed Mousa
Al-Sadr, Imam Khomeini, and Imam Khamenei.”
“He was a devout, missionary, courageous, and highly socially
conscious man ----- who devoted his life to serve the people.”
Meanwhile, Sheikh Qassem congratulated Lebanese people on
Christmas and on the start of the holy month of Rajab, as he
offered condolences over the passing away of prominent
scholar Sheikh Rida Mahdi.
Lebanon in Midst of Storm
Shifting into the political part of his speech, Sheikh Qassem warned
that Lebanon is now “in the midst of storm and instability,”
stressing that the US policies and the Israeli enemy
are the reason behind of instability in Lebanon
and the region.
He noted that the Israeli attacks against Lebanon did
not stop ------- despite the 2024 ceasefire agreement.
Sheikh Qassem stressed: Hezbollah’s “path in Lebanon
has been ------ and remains ------ bright and shining.”
“Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance, liberated all Lebanon,
not just the south ---- in cooperation with various factions ----
plus with the support of the Lebanese Army and the people.”
The Hezbollah S.G. said the resistance party ‘s performance
in Parliament as well as in the Government “has been
characterized by clean hands - as the party
contributed to state building.”
Hezbollah Disarmament
On the other hand, Sheikh Qassem warned: “Today we stand at a
crucial, historic juncture; either we grant the United States and
Israel what they want, namely complete control over Lebanon,
or we rise up nationally, to reclaim our sovereignty and land.”
In this context, he stressed that Hezbollah disarmament is an
Israeli-US project, even if it is being circulated under the
title of “arms monopoly.”
His eminence stressed that those who call for “arms monopoly”
don’t serve Lebanon’s national interests, but rather, serve the
Israeli enemy’s interests.
“Disarmament is part of a project aimed at ending Lebanon’s
military capabilities and undermining the financial and
social standing - of a significant segment of the
Lebanese population.”
“Disarmament aims to end the resistance, annex part of Lebanon
and turn the rest of the country, into a tool for the US and Israel.”
Lebanese State Not a Cop for ‘Israel’
Sheikh Qassem said that the Israeli enemy has been proceeding with
its attacks on Lebanon -- for one year after the ceasefire agreement.
“One year have passed on the ceasefire agreement, the Lebanese
side has made commitments and concessions while the Israeli
enemy continues its attacks --------- without pause.”
“The Lebanese government made concessions for
nothing, while ‘Israel’ ....offered nothing in return.”
In this context, Sheikh Qassem affirmed that Lebanon “is no longer
required to take any action until ‘Israel’ fulfills its obligations,”
adding: “Providing additional measures to the enemy from
Lebanon is an irresponsible and dangerous act
that affects major national interests.”
“The Lebanese state is not responsible for
acting as a cop for the Israeli enemy.”
His eminence stressed that Israeli aerial, land and naval aggression
must stop, stating that complete Israeli withdrawal must be
implemented, prisoners released, and reconstruction
fully completed.
Meanwhile, he reiterated that the relation between Hezbollah
and Amal Movement “is strong and solid, and we will
remain united.”
“Do Your Worst”
Sheikh Qassem, on the other hand, hit back at Israeli-US threats,
saying: “Israel may threaten war, but will not achieve its goals.”
“The resistance will defend its homeland and preserve it. Goals
will be achieved even if this takes time. Do your worst. We
won’t back down and we won’t bow,” the Hezbollah S.G.
said, addressing the enemies.
Hezbollah fighters
He stressed -- that any solution to the security situation in Lebanon
“is linked to the Israeli enemy’s implementation of the agreement,
its withdrawal, and the cessation of its violations.”
In this context, Sheikh Qassem added: “After the implementation of
these commitments, a national security strategy will be discussed
in a way that serves Lebanon’s interest and strength.”
Addressing the Lebanese people, Sheikh Qassem warned
that “there will be no Lebanon left .....if its south is lost.”
He called on the Lebanese people to act responsibly
and to unite in order to salvage their country.
“We in Hezbollah will remain strong and courageous defenders,
no matter the difficulties and the sacrifices,” the resistance
leader concluded his speech.
Source: Al-Manar English Website