Israel's genocidal war leaves
just 3% of Gaza’s farmland
usable: FAO
August 18, 7:23pm
(PressTV)
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says only 3 percent
of Gaza’s farmland remains accessible and undamaged, as Israel’s
blockade and military restrictions prevent Palestinian farmers
from cultivating their land, pushing food production in the
besieged territory ...toward collapse.
In an assessment released on August 18, FAO and the UN Satellite
Centre (UNOSAT) found that just 448 hectares of the besieged
Palestinian region’s cropland remained accessible and
undamaged as of June 24, 2026. Although 4,091
hectares - about a quarter of Gaza’s total crop-
land - were technically accessible, the
remaining 3,643 hectares, were so
severely damaged --- as not to
be to be cultivated without
extensive rehabilitation.
Since October 2025, accessible and undamaged cropland has
fallen from 601 hectares to 448 hectares, a loss of 153
hectares, or 25.5 percent. Deir al-Balah and Khan
Younis recorded the largest reductions.
FAO attributed the deterioration... primarily to Palestinians being
prevented by occupying Israeli forces from reaching their fields,
including amid the westward expansion of a so-called “Yellow
Line,” which separates the declared ceasefire zone from
areas under Israeli military control.
Rafah has been particularly affected -------- with 97.2 percent of its
cropland and 98.4 percent of its greenhouse area inaccessible
to Palestinian farmers. The most extensive physical damage
is concentrated in North Gaza and Gaza governorates.
The assessment found that 224 hectares, or 16.6 percent of
greenhouse area, remained accessible and undamaged
down from 226 hectares, or 17.3 percent, in October
2025. Deir al-Balah recorded the largest cut.
Meanwhile, farmers who can still reach their land face severe
shortages of seeds, fertilizer, irrigation equipment and fuel.
Livestock owners are struggling to obtain feed, veterinary
supplies and animal-health services, while available
supplies are often poor in quality and
prohibitively expensive.
“Without urgent action to restore safe access and provide farmers
with the support they need, opportunities to restore local food
production will continue to diminish,” said Rein Paulsen,
director of the FAO’s Office of Emergencies
and Resilience.
The agricultural crisis is unfolding alongside continued restrictions
on humanitarian aid. Palestinian rights group Al Mezan recently
reported that Israel continues to restrict aid entering the
besieged territory, with only a fraction of the 600
trucks per day stipulated under the ceasefire
agreement ...reaching Gaza. Many of the
trucks that do enter carry commercial
goods, rather than humanitarian
supplies, and Israeli inspection
procedures have delayed or
blocked relief shipments.
Before Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023,
agriculture accounted for roughly 10 percent of the territory’s
economy and supported the livelihoods of over 560,000
people through farming, livestock and fishing.
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor recently warned that Gaza’s aid
network is nearing collapse as Israeli restrictions continue to
disrupt deliveries of food and medicine, heightening the
risk of famine.
The rights group said - Gaza’s already severe food crisis
could rapidly worsen, pushing vulnerable communities
back towards famine.
Israel’s genocidal war has already killed more than 73,399
Palestinians and wounded over 174,310, while destroying
around 90 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure, according to
the authorities.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health has recorded 1,266
Palestinians killed and 4,200 wounded since the so-
called ceasefire took effect in Gaza on
11 October ----- in 2025.
Gaza’s Government Media Office estimates that around 9,500
Palestinians have been reported missing since the war
began on October 7, 2023, many of whom are
believed to remain buried beneath the
rubble of destroyed buildings.
_______________________________________________
Exclusive: Reports.... of Iranian missile attack on
UAE unfounded; Zionist false flag imprint evident
August 18, 7:16pm
(PressTV)
Findings from a Press TV reporter reveal that reports
claiming Iran launched missile attacks against the
United Arab Emirates on Tuesday are unfounded.
Earlier on Tuesday, the UAE defense ministry claimed
that its air defences “detected two ballistic missiles
launched from Iran toward the country.”
However, a review by Press TV’s reporter found that
reports alleging Iranian missile attacks on the UAE
are not accurate.
Iran’s conduct throughout the war... has shown that
whenever it takes an action, it issues a statement
and accepts responsibility for it.
Meanwhile, the Israeli regime has a long history of
carrying out false-flag operations, and Iran has
repeatedly warned regional countries --- to
remain vigilant against such attempts.
During the 40-day war, which started with US-Israeli aggression
against Iran on February 28, Iran launched retaliatory strikes
against US military assets across the region --- including in
the United Arab Emirates. Iranian armed forces had been
clear about their operations by issuing statements,
giving details about the targeted sites.
Another recent false flag ploy happened in the Iraqi Kurdistan
Region on Monday when a drone attack targeted the office
of the region’s Prime Minister, Masrour Barzani.
In a post on X on the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed
Abbas Araghchi strongly slammed the attack, saying,
“Nothing justifies the reckless attack on PM
Barzani’s office. Kurdish friends should be
vigilant against false-flag ploys to sow
discord between neighbours."
"We protected our Kurdish friends against Saddam and DAESH,
and we’re thankful for the security they’ve provided on our
border,” he stated.
Analysts believe the Israeli regime seeks to use such
ploys .........to draw other countries into the war.
_________________________________________________
40-day war shattered illusion of US-provided
security, paved way for region-led security:
Iran FM
August 18, 6:39pm
(PressTV)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the recent 40-day
imposed war fundamentally altered the regional perception of
security, proving that the foreign military presence.... is a
liability rather than a guarantee of safety.
In an interview with the Iranian Vice Presidency for Communications
published on Tuesday, Araghchi said the war exposed the fatal
flaws in relying on external powers for protection and paved
the way ------- for a new era of collective security in the
Persian Gulf.
“In the previous view, there was a reliance on foreign
forces to provide security,” Araghchi stated.
“But the recent war showed that foreign forces and
foreign bases not only failed to bring security, but
actually became sources of insecurity.”
The Iranian minister said countries without US military installations
remained significantly safer and less impacted by the war than
those that hosted US troops, which ultimately served....... to
protect the Zionist regime rather than their host nations.
New vision for collective security
Araghchi said a more accurate and correct understanding has now
emerged among the regional countries that security in the Persian
Gulf must inherently be collective and must absolutely
encompass economic dimensions.
“It is impossible to achieve permanent peace .......with economic
imbalances among regional countries, just as it is impossible to
achieve sustainable, collective security amidst regional
insecurity and imbalance.”
Consequently, he said, new perspectives have formed,
and Iran has resumed contacts with these nations.
“With this new outlook and fresh communications,
I believe we have a good path ahead.”
Iranian strikes expose US military vulnerability as
Pentagon weighs Persian Gulf pullback: Report
The Pentagon is considering a smaller US military presence
in the Persian Gulf after Iranian strikes battered US bases,
says a report.
Highlighting specific diplomatic breakthroughs,
Araghchi pointed to Qatar’s crucial role.
“One of these countries I must mention is Qatar, which explicitly
and formally entered into mediation between us and the United
States, playing a very important role, alongside Pakistan.”
While acknowledging that similar contacts have begun with other
nations, he expressed strong optimism that Iran’s future
relationship with the Persian Gulf region will be
highly positive, ushering in a new era with
fresh approaches.... that will benefit all
countries and peoples of the region.
End of ‘weak Iran’ myth
Araghchi said that after 40 days of resistance, the perception of a
“weak Iran,” mainly caused by the foreign-backed January riots
and the country’s economic hardships -- caused by sanctions,
has been completely eradicated, and replaced by the image
of a resilient and resistant Iran capable of standing on its
own feet ---- under the most difficult conditions.
“It was unimaginable that we could resist for 40 days against the
world’s seemingly strongest military, which possesses nuclear
weapons, and ''another military'' that considers itself the
strongest in the region, & also has nuclear weapons.”
He praised the extraordinary resilience of the Iranian people and
state institutions, noting that ----- even when police facilities and
infrastructure were destroyed, personnel continued their duties
from under bridges and inside vehicles ---------- to maintain
societal security.
Looking forward, the foreign minister said Iran’s foreign policy
framework will now be built upon a strong and confident
nation, fully in control.
“From now on, the image the Iranian people will see, is that of an
authoritative, strong, and resolute foreign policy, one that seeks
our national interests, defends the rights of the people, and
pursues Iran's glory.”
“I have told all my colleagues: be aware that you now represent
a nation that has defeated a superpower,” Araghchi stated.
“Therefore, hold your heads high. Our flag -- is flying high. We must
speak to the world proudly and assertively and unapologetically
demanding what is owed, to secure the rights of the Iranian
people and show the world the face of a powerful Iran.”
____________________________________________
Squeezing Iran won’t work, Qalibaf says
as he mocks US ‘clown crew’
August 18, 6:20pm
(PressTV)
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf
says Washington’s increased pressure would not
force Tehran to accept demands.. beyond the
Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Qalibaf said the United States
appeared to believe that “squeezing Iran harder will win
concessions that were never part of the agreement.”
He also dismissed the ability of US Treasury Secretary, Scott
Bessent and War Secretary Pete Hegseth, to deliver such an
outcome, saying the 2 officials are “way out of their league.”
“Stop waiting for the clown crew to pull a rabbit out of their
hat and clean up the mess you made,” Qalibaf added.
Donald Trump, the president of the United States, is frustrated
that his administration has achieved none of the objectives
of the illegal war imposed on Iran. The US president’s
frustration is also from his failure to bring the war
to an end and reach an agreement on the
Strait of Hormuz.
Joined at the hip with Israel, the United States launched the war of
aggression on February 28 by assassinating Leader of the Islamic
Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, along with senior
military commanders.
Forty days later, on April 8, the enemies - were forced to accept a
ceasefire amid Iran’s resistance, decisive retaliatory operations,
and a powerful grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran and Washington signed the Islamabad MoU on June 17, but
the White House effectively violated the deal, prompting Iran to
conduct devastating attacks --- against strategic US targets
across West Asia.
On Monday, the 60-day deadline for the two countries to
negotiate a lasting agreement to end their war, expired.
Facing a devastating military failure, Washington has resorted
to using economic pressure on Iran by enforcing an illegal
maritime blockade.
______________________________________
Iranian strikes expose US military vulnerability
as Pentagon weighs Persian Gulf pullback:
Report
August 18, 6:12pm
(PressTV)
Iran’s sustained retaliatory strikes --- against US military positions
across West Asia have exposed the vulnerability of Washington’s
military footprint in the region, prompting the Pentagon to
examine whether the US presence in the Persian Gulf
should be scaled back after the war on Iran,
according to a report.
The Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing eight people
familiar with the matter, that the Pentagon’s policy office is
conducting an initial assessment of the future of the US
military footprint in West Asia.
The review is examining whether bases damaged by Iranian
missile and drone strikes should be rebuilt in their previous
form or whether Washington should use the destruction..
to establish a smaller military presence.
The assessment is not yet a formal review ordered by War Secretary
Pete Hegseth.... according to a senior Pentagon official cited by the
Post, who described it as “prudent planning” that could eventually
inform decisions on the future of US forces in the region.
The newspaper said the damage inflicted by Iranian missile and
drone strikes has given some US officials an opportunity to
reconsider Washington’s long-standing military foot-
print in West Asia.
More than 200 US military facilities have, reportedly, been damaged
or destroyed, according to the Post, while six US service members
were killed in a March Iranian strike on Port Shuaiba, a military
facility in Kuwait.
The damage has also forced the Pentagon to confront a vulnerability
--------- that has long been a concern for US forces in the region, the
concentration of troops, aircraft and military infrastructure at
bases within range of Iran’s missile and drone capabilities.
US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees the US military in
the region, normally has around 40,000 troops stationed across
nearly 20 sites stretching from Jordan and Oman.
Before the war began in February, CENTCOM had already begun
moving personnel away from some bases before the war, after
determining that they were too vulnerable to Iranian attacks,
the Post reported. Some of those changes could remain in
place after the war ends, it added.
Among the options under discussion is relocating troops and military
equipment to Jordan, Israel and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.
Michael Ratney, a former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia... told the
Post that the war had demonstrated the vulnerability of US forces
in the region.... and backed shifting some assets farther west,
while acknowledging that such a move, would not remove
the threat.
Any reduction in US troops would also - force Washington’s Persian
Gulf allies.... to reconsider their longstanding reliance on US
''protection''. The Post said a smaller US footprint could
push regional states to invest more heavily in their
own defense capabilities or seek security
arrangements with other powers.
At the same time, the possible drawdown could deepen an ongoing
debate within the Trump administration over the scope of US
military involvement overseas. Some officials favour pulling
back... from Washington’s extensive overseas military
deployments and concentrating US resources on
homeland defense ...and major strategic rivals
such as China, while interventionist voices
continue to push for maintaining a large
US military presence in West Asia.
Why expelling US military and dismantling their
assets are key to regional peace and stability
The recent US-Israeli war against Iran exposed US military bases
as magnets for regional destabilization, underscoring: how host
countries can become legitimate targets rather than protected
allies and suggesting that durable regional peace & security
ultimately depend on the expulsion of US forces and the
dismantlement of their military infrastructure.
The strain extends beyond US bases and personnel. The US military
has also used more than 1,000 advanced air-defense interceptors
during the war, further depleting Pentagon stockpiles of Patriot
and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles,
according to the report.
The Pentagon has estimated that the US war on Iran will cost around
$37.5 billion through the end of September, although.... that figure
does not include the cost of rebuilding damaged military bases.
US Defense Department has not yet determined how much
reconstruction would cost or how extensively the bases
should be rebuilt. Meanwhile, an American Enterprise
Institute estimate in April put the cost of repairing
targeted US bases in the region .......at about
$5 billion.
Trump recently acknowledged serious shortages in US military
stockpiles, while reports have also revealed that the US has
depleted significant portions of its advanced munitions
stockpiles after five months of military operations
against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Analysts have long maintained that the US-led aggression has only
strengthened the Islamic Republic’s defensive posture ----
while exposing vulnerabilities in the US war machine.
____________________________________________________
Iran, Tajikistan move to build
biggest Persian economic
bloc yet
August 18, 12:49pm
(PressTV)
Tehran last week hosted one of Tajikistan’s most serious economic
delegations ever, bringing together the country’s energy and
transport ministers and the deputy foreign minister
and a group of Tajik businessmen.
The composition of the delegation suggested that Dushanbe is
seeking to redefine its economic relationship with Tehran by
placing energy, transportation, logistics, investment and
trade on the same negotiating table.
At the centre of the talks --- was a proposed long-term agreement
under which Iran would supply petroleum products to Tajikistan
while also providing crude oil to feed the country’s refineries.
The two sides have established a joint working group to
assess transport routes, logistics capacity and the
mechanisms for expanding energy trade, with
Tajik officials saying annual petroleum-
product shipments, currently around
800,000 tons, could rise........
substantially.
Yet the visit’s significance extends well beyond a prospective oil
deal, as Iran and Tajikistan are seeking to build, after decades
of limited engagement, an economic relationship capable of
generating durable trade and investment networks.
That distinction matters because the historical closeness of Iran
and Tajikistan has never automatically translated into close
political or economic relations, with the two countries
passing through periods of cooperation and tension
since Tajikistan gained independence.
Iranian-Tajik relations... contain a longstanding contradiction,
because the two countries are among the few independent
states, where Persian is an official language, yet their
extraordinary connection has produced surprisingly
limited commercial integration.
The picture is now beginning to change, with bilateral trade
reaching about $438 million in 2025, according to the Tajik
authorities, representing a 28 percent increase, while first
-half trade this year reportedly reached $254.3 million.
These figures remain small in the broader context of both
countries’ foreign trade, but their significance lies
precisely in the fact that the relationship is
starting from a relatively low base, and
therefore still has considerable room
to expand.
Iran’s first vice president, Aref, has proposed forming a union of
Persian-speaking countries and regions, citing strong cultural,
civilizational, and linguistic ties between Iran and Tajikistan.
The recent Tajik delegation can therefore be understood as the
most serious attempt yet to move bilateral economic relations
from scattered exchanges toward a more structured system
built around energy, transportation, logistics and
regional connectivity.
The logic behind the energy focus is relatively straightforward.
Iran is a major oil and gas producer with substantial refining
and petroleum-product capacity, while Tajikistan is land-
locked and depends heavily on imported energy to
satisfy its domestic requirements.
Between an Iranian refinery and a Tajik consumer, however,
lie international borders, transport networks, terminals
and several potential transit countries.
Expanded trade will require greater transportation capacity and
stronger logistics infrastructure, with Tajikistan preparing to
discuss the necessary arrangements with neighbouring
countries through which future cargoes would have
to pass.
For Dushanbe, closer cooperation with Iran is vital because
Tajikistan has increasingly sought to diversify its sources
and routes of external supply ---- as regional disruptions
have exposed the risks of relying on limited suppliers.
Russia remains deeply important to the Tajik economy, but
restrictions affecting Russian petroleum exports have
added pressure to a market already seeking greater
flexibility, making alternative suppliers and
transportation routes more valuable
to Dushanbe.
Iran offers two potential advantages simultaneously,
namely an alternative source of energy ...and a
possible alternative route into Central Asia.
Tajikistan has discussed importing Iranian diesel, aviation fuel
and other petroleum products, while also examining Iranian
crude supplies for its refineries, which have a combined
nominal capacity reportedly approaching.... 500,000
tons annually.
The proposed relationship could therefore cover both ends of the
petroleum chain, with refined products serving the consumer
market while Iranian crude potentially supplies Tajikistan’s
refining capacity and creates a more integrated
energy relationship.
Economically, long-term contracts allow both sides to plan, giving
Iran a defined market for part of its output ..and giving Tajikistan
greater predictability in securing energy supplies.
The success of the petroleum relationship, however, will
depend on the cost and reliability of physical delivery.
This is where Chabahar enters the equation, because Iran has
welcomed Tajik investment in the port - and highlighted the
planned completion of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway - as
a means of improving Tajikistan’s access to open waters.
Access to the sea is a structural economic problem for
Tajikistan --- while Central Asia represents a market
where Iran’s geographical position can provide
valuable alternative transit routes.
If the Chabahar-Zahedan railway and other transport links are
completed and connected to regional networks, Tajikistan
could route part of its foreign trade through Iran toward
the Indian Ocean and wider international markets.
Iran, meanwhile, would gain a stronger commercial connection
with Central Asian markets whose importance extends well
beyond the relatively small Tajik market, potentially
strengthening the economic rationale.... for
broader regional transport investment.
If Chabahar could connect Tajikistan to the sea, another proposal
discussed during the recent talks could expand relations in the
opposite direction through the development and activation of
an Iran-Afghanistan-Tajikistan-China transportation corridor.
This may be the clearest indication that Tehran and Dushanbe are
beginning to think beyond bilateral trade.... because a corridor
connecting the four countries would potentially place their
economic relationship ....within a much wider regional
trading system.
At a trilateral meeting hosted in Mashhad, the sides agreed to
examine and conduct field assessments of different routes
through Afghanistan that could connect Iran with
Tajikistan, bringing the proposal closer to
questions of practical feasibility.
The geography is significant --- because Iran sits at one end of the
proposed network, Tajikistan lies within Central Asia and China
represents a major eastern market, while Afghanistan could
provide the crucial land bridge ---- connecting these
economic spaces.
If reliable routes can be established through Afghanistan, trade
between Tehran and Dushanbe would no longer necessarily
terminate at the Tajik market, allowing Tajikistan to
become part of a wider network carrying Iranian
goods toward Chinese markets.
In the opposite direction, Central Asian and Chinese goods could
gain access to Iranian routes and southern ports, potentially
giving Tajikistan a greater role in regional transit while
providing Iran with access to markets beyond its
immediate neighbourhood.
In that scenario, Tajikistan would shift from being simply a
destination market toward becoming a transit node, a
transformation that could give its geographical
position greater economic significance than
the size of its domestic market alone.
For Iran, this distinction is important because Tajikistan’s market
is limited, whereas its position between Afghanistan, China and
the wider Central Asian region .........could give it substantially
greater geo-economic value.
That explains why recent negotiations have covered railways,
roads, aviation, ports and logistics alongside petroleum,
because expanding energy trade without addressing
transportation would leave the central constraint
of the relationship unresolved.
______________________________________
Hamas rep.: Resistance, arms
will remain as long as the
occupation exists
August 18, 11:11 am
Gisoo Misha Ahmadi
Press TV, Tehran
The representative of the Hamas resistance movement in Iran,
Khalid al-Qaddumi, has declared --- that the resistance and its
weapons will remain as long as the Israeli occupation exists.
Speaking at a press conference in Tehran, he emphasized that
disarmament is not an option for the Palestinian people,
and that the recent election of a new Hamas leader ---
demonstrates the movement's institutional strength.
___________________________________________
Yemeni forces conduct drone strike on
Saudi Aramco oil refinery in Jizan,
report says
August 18, 10:58am
(PressTV)
The Yemeni armed forces have reportedly carried out a successful
strike against an oil facility operated by the state-owned Saudi
Aramco petroleum and natural gas company in retaliation for
the Riyadh regime’s ongoing aggression and blockade
against their homeland.
Yemen’s official Saba news agency cited an unnamed military
source as saying that Yemeni military units conducted a
“qualitative military operation” on Tuesday, targeting
an Aramco refinery with several drones.
The source added that the unmanned aerial vehicles
accurately hit the designated targets inside
the refinery.
He noted that the strike was carried out in retaliation for
“violations of the Yemeni airspace” over the northern
provinces of Sa’ada and Hajjah.
There was no immediate comment from Saudi
authorities on the Yemeni drone attack.
Additionally, Saudi Aramco did not immediately issue public
comments regarding the reported attack or any potential
operational impact at the Jizan facility.
The Yemeni Armed Forces have reiterated: they will continue
implementing the “siege-for-siege equation” and will target
strategic sites inside Saudi Arabia besides the Saudi's
mercenary forces’ positions and concentrations
wherever they are located.
Yemen warns: Saudi territory, interests
will not be spared ...if war escalates
A senior Yemeni official has warned Saudi Arabia that its territory
and interests could face the consequences of the conflict if
Riyadh continues its military buildup and pressure
on Yemen.
On Monday, the Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Expatriates
said the country’s armed forces are closely monitoring
developments, stressing that they will respond to
any threat and conspiracy by enemies, with
more severe and devastating attacks.
The ministry announced in a statement, that Yemeni military units
stand with open eyes, prepared, and more vigilant than ever, and
will not hesitate to respond in kind --- to any Saudi escalation of
the tensions.
On July 20, the Sana’a government announced a maritime blockade
against Saudi Arabia, stating that authorities in Riyadh have been
keeping “an unjust and oppressive siege” in place on Yemen for
nearly 12 years, “plundering our resources and implementing
a complete blockade.”
Subsequently... the Yemeni Armed Forces have announced multiple
successful operations against Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea.
Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a blockade on Yemen in March
2015, initiating a comprehensive war supported militarily,
politically, and logistically by the United States
and certain Western countries.
Tens of thousands of Yemenis have been killed, yet Saudi Arabia
has failed to achieve its primary goal of reinstalling a puppet
regime aligned with Riyadh.
_____________________________________________
Blood of martyrs of US-Israeli aggression
against Iran 'will not go unavenged’:
Qalibaf
August 18, 12:04pm
(PressTV)
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf vows that the
Islamic Republic will not let the blood of the martyred Leader of
the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and
other martyrs of unprovoked US-Israeli aggression
against the nation “go unavenged.”
The top legislator made the remarks on Tuesday... honouring the
memories of the 168 victims, mostly comprising schoolchildren,
who were fatally targeted at a school in the southern Iranian
city of Minab in the opening airstrikes of the February
28-April 7 aggression.
He pledged that, under the guidance of Ayatollah Khamenei’s son
and successor, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, the Islamic
Republic will “devote all its capabilities to securing the rights of
the Iranian people, ending the aggression, punishing the
aggressor, and upholding the country’s honour
and standing.”
“We will not allow the enemy to target national unity,
the popular participation, the nation’s resilience, or
the motivation of our officials,” he added.
The official expressed certainty that, benefiting from the
directions provided by Ayatollah Khamenei, the nation
will emerge triumphant from this historic test and
be granted divine victory.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Qalibaf asserted that Iran will
not reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which it has
shut down in retaliation for the foreign aggression,
unless the US lifts an illegal naval blockade it
has imposed on the Islamic Republic.
Reopening of the strait, he added, is also conditioned on the
unfreezing of the country’s assets, removal of unlawful oil
sanctions targeting the nation, and cessation of military
threats and aggression on all fronts, as well as the
fulfillment of all the other conditions contained
in the memorandum of understanding that
was signed between Tehran and
Washington in June.
Meanwhile, the official warned that the Islamic Republic is
prepared to “inflict an even heavier defeat on the enemy”
in the case of fresh violations.
Qalibaf identified the understanding as “a document of the
United States defeat in the legal and political spheres.”
The enemy accepted the understanding “out of desperation
to end the war,” he added, noting how Iran’s decisive and
successful retaliation against the aggression forced
Washington to announce a unilateral ceasefire on
April 7 and then agree to the understanding.
Qalibaf described subsequent violations by the US
of the understanding as its efforts at
“compensating for its heavy
political defeat.”
_________________________________________
US war on Iran has caused
significant environmental
damage
August 18, 10:38am
(PressTV)
The US-Israeli aggression against Iran has left
a toxic footprint, and the environment.... is a
silent victim.
A map of the region tells a story of contamination, of ecological
destruction, and of a war that has not just killed people, but
has poisoned the land, the water, and the air.
''The damage on the environment of this region --- is unbelievably
massive and extends to areas that have never been witnessed
before, and considering the hotspots of biodiversity that we
have in this region, and also the dependence of several
countries on the water resources that they're getting
from the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, the
whole circle of life in this region is in danger.''
Arman Khorsand, Iran Department of Environment
US-Israeli war takes heavy toll on
Iran's environment, Persian Gulf
US-Israeli attacks on Iran have caused severe environmental
damage, with toxic pollution potentially lasting for decades.
Recent images from the Persian Gulf have shocked the
nation. These are the obvious consequences of the
military aggression imposed on Iran.
''The attacks on the infrastructure of (the) Islamic Republic,
oil infrastructure of (the) Islamic Republic of Iran, and the
petrochemical infrastructure of the country have had
outcomes on the hotspots of biodiversity in Iran, on
the mangrove forests in Iran, on the whole coastal
line of (the) Islamic Republic of Iran, next to (the)
Persian Gulf and (the) Sea of Oman, which is
more than 1,000 kilometres.''
Arman Khorsand, Iran Department of Environment
From debris to acid rain: The environmental
cost of US-Israeli 'ecocidal war' on Iran
US-Israeli strikes on Iran - hit civilian and energy infrastructure,
causing severe environmental damage, toxic pollution, health
risks, and long-term impacts including soil and water
contamination and ecological harm.
But the environmental damage is not limited to the Persian Gulf,
the war has targeted infrastructure across the country.
Attacks on fuel depots ---- have released massive
amounts of toxic smoke into the atmosphere.
''When (the) Zionist regime and United States deliberately
bombed oil depots around Tehran, the amount of toxic
gasses released into the air and the carbon footprint
of this act of aggression... well, there have been
studies by European universities that show:
just the carbon footprint of the two first
weeks of this act of aggression was
equivalent to the carbon footprint
of 60 countries for a whole year.''
Arman Khorsand, Iran Department of Environment
US-Israeli strikes on oil depots
'intentional chemical warfare'
Iran says the US-Israeli attacks on oil storage facilities
amount to intentional chemical warfare on civilians.
Experts warn - that the damage is long-lasting.
They say pollution of this nature.. can persist
for decades.
''The Persian Gulf is a semi-enclosed body of water. It connects
to the open ocean only through the Strait of Hormuz, and
water circulation ....takes five to seven years.
''The Gulf ........is home to unique biodiversity,
including coral reefs and mangrove forests.
''But regional tensions have always caused terrible environmental
damage -- and now, with the US-Israeli attacks on oil depots
and petrochemical factories, we are --- once again ---
witnessing tragedy.
''The environment is always the victim, and it will take
decades for the pollution to fully dissipate.''
Ahmadreza Lahijanzadeh, Marine Environment
& Wetlands, Iran Department of Environment
US-Israeli aggression leaves toxic
environmental footprint on Iran’s
southern coast
Iran’s top environmental authority says the US-Israeli aggression
has caused oil pollution affecting parts of Qeshm Island and
nearby coastal areas.
Environmental pollution does not recognize borders, and countries
in the region ---- will soon be suffering the consequences as well.
As the environmental toll grows, Iranians are not only demanding
justice for the martyrs, but also accountability for the damage
done to the environment.