new authoritarianism

Iraq will not allow its territory to be used to threaten Iran: Prime minister

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Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi (L) meets with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (R) in Tehran, Iran on July 23, 2026. [Iranian Presidency / Handout – Anadolu Agency]

Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said Thursday Baghdad will never allow the use of Iraqi territory to threaten Iran, reaffirming his country’s commitment to security cooperation with Tehran, Anadolu reports.

Speaking at a joint meeting of senior Iranian and Iraqi delegations in Tehran, al-Zaidi said Iraq will not accept hostile action against Iran by any party.

“Iraq will never forget Iran’s support in the fight against the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group,” he said, as cited by a statement from Iran’s presidential office.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, for his part, said that a comprehensive strategic cooperation plan would serve as a roadmap for expanding relations between Tehran and Baghdad, stressing that the security of the two neighboring countries was closely linked.

Pezeshkian called for the rapid implementation of bilateral agreements and the expansion of economic, infrastructure, and security cooperation.

He said regional countries should facilitate the movement of people, trade and investment “based on their shared historical, cultural and religious ties.”

READ: Tehran warns any UK base used by US to attack Iran will become ‘legitimate target’

The Iranian president said Tehran had begun developing transport links with neighboring countries and hoped Iraq would join the network to establish an integrated transportation system that would promote transit, investment, joint markets and port development.

He stressed that insecurity in either country would directly affect the other, underscoring the strategic importance of security cooperation.

Pezeshkian also called for the full implementation of the Iran-Iraq security agreement, particularly the clearing of border areas of anti-Iran armed groups, while emphasizing that Tehran preferred to resolve the issue through cooperation and peaceful means.

During al-Zaidi’s official visit to Tehran, senior officials from the two countries signed four cooperation agreements and memorandums of understanding in the presence of the two leaders.

The documents included an agreement on the road transport of goods, a memorandum on the construction of the Khosravi-Khanaqin-Baghdad railway, a sister-city agreement between Tehran and Baghdad, and a memorandum on public administration, training and human resources.

Al-Zaidi met Pezeshkian earlier Thursday during his first official visit to Iran since taking office in May.

The Iraqi premier’s media office said the two leaders held a bilateral meeting, without providing further details.

READ: Islamic resistance in Iraq threatens to target US interests if conflict with Iran escalates

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Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.

Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingIraq will not allow its territory to be used to threaten Iran: Prime minister

Turkiye strongly condemns Israeli raid led by minister on Al Aqsa Mosque

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Groups of fanatic Jews raid the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem during events marking what they regard as the anniversary of the destruction of the Jewish temples, on July 23, 2026 in Jerusalem. [Gazi Samad – Anadolu Agency]

Turkiye on Thursday condemned “in strongest terms” a raid carried out by Israeli minister, accompanied by an extremist group, under the protection of Israeli security forces, on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Anadolu reports.

“We condemn in the strongest terms the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by an Israeli minister, accompanied by a group of extremists and under the protection of Israeli security forces,” said the Foreign Ministry in a statement.

The statement reaffirmed that the global community has a shared responsibility to prevent the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “provocative acts and attempts to create fait accompli that violate the historical and legal status of the holy sites in Jerusalem, particularly Al-Aqsa Mosque, a place of worship exclusively for Muslims.”

More than 3,200 Israeli occupiers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday morning as they marked the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av, commemorating what they call the “destruction of the Temple.”

The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem said in a statement that 3,228 occupiers entered the compound during the morning period.

More occupiers were expected to enter the mosque after noon prayers.

Videos circulated by Israeli right-wing activists showed occupiers performing collective prayers opposite the Dome of the Rock. Another clip showed the Israeli flag being raised inside the compound as participants sang the Israeli national anthem in the presence of Israeli police.

Earlier, the Jerusalem Governorate said in a Facebook post that Israeli police allowed the number of occupiers entering the compound in each group to increase to around 150.

READ: Over 2,500 Israeli occupiers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem

Israeli forces imposed tight restrictions at the mosque’s gates and around Jerusalem’s Old City, deploying heavily across its courtyards and preventing Palestinian worshippers from entering, it added.

Only a very limited number of Palestinians managed to reach the mosque for dawn prayers before Israeli forces assaulted several worshippers and other residents, the statement said.

The governorate said occupiers “performed Talmudic rituals during the incursions, including wearing tefillin, carrying out full prostrations in the eastern section of the compound and chanting loudly.”

It added that “extremist groups advocating the construction of a Jewish temple at the site were mobilizing supporters in an effort to bring 5,000 occupiers into the compound” during Thursday’s incursions.

Ben-Gvir storms compound

The Jerusalem Governorate condemned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s storming of the compound as a “dangerous escalation” and a “flagrant violation” of its historical and legal status quo.

It said the move was part of “systematic targeting of Islamic holy sites” and attempts to impose new realities at the mosque.

The governorate said Ben-Gvir’s participation, alongside incursions by occupiers and groups advocating the construction of a “Jewish temple” at the site, marked a “dangerous shift” from attacks by extremist groups to the Israeli government’s official adoption of such actions.

It warned that the violations could have repercussions for regional security and stability, and urged the international community and international institutions to act to halt them.

The governorate stressed that the entire 144-dunam (35.6-acre) Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is “an exclusively Islamic place of worship,” saying any measures aimed at changing its identity or historical and legal status are “invalid and illegitimate.”

Likud party lawmaker Amit Halevi also stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Thursday morning.

READ: Israeli forces kill 3 Palestinians, withhold their bodies in occupied West Bank

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Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.

Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingTurkiye strongly condemns Israeli raid led by minister on Al Aqsa Mosque

After Trump’s threat, Iran warns no one will sell oil if Tehran can’t

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Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Tehran, Iran on April 16, 2026. [Iranian Parliament Speaker Office – Anadolu Agency]

Iran’s Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Wednesday that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz would not return to its pre-war state, warning that no country in the region would be able to sell oil if Iran was prevented from doing so, Anadolu reports.

In a post on the US social media platform X, Qalibaf said the conflict had become an “all or nothing” equation.

“In a region where we cannot sell oil, no one will sell oil,” he warned.

Qalibaf also warned that if Iran’s security was not guaranteed, “no infrastructure will remain secure.”

He further argued that security in the Strait of Hormuz depends on the absence of US forces, adding that Iran had repeatedly stated that conditions in the strategic waterway would not revert to those that existed before the war.

READ: Trump says 18 US troops killed during war with Iran

The remarks came hours after US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb an Iranian bridge or power plant each time Tehran attacked a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has repeatedly insisted that commercial shipping through the strait will remain safe if vessels coordinate with Tehran under its new maritime arrangements, while warning that it will continue exercising control over the waterway as part of what it describes as safeguarding its long-term security.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil trade passes, has become a focal point of tensions since the outbreak of the Iran-US war in February and subsequent disputes over navigation through the strategic waterway.

READ: Trump warns US will bomb bridge or power plant for every attack on ship in Hormuz

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingAfter Trump’s threat, Iran warns no one will sell oil if Tehran can’t

Iran warns any attack on its infrastructure will trigger ‘powerful’ response

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Iran warned Wednesday that any attack on its infrastructure would trigger a “powerful and decisive” response, saying countries supporting such strikes would be considered legitimate targets, Anadolu reports.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the warning in a post on the US social media platform X, saying Iran’s defense doctrine was based on the principle of “eye for an eye.”

“Our defense doctrine is clear: eye for an eye,” Araghchi wrote.

“Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response.”

He added that “those who contribute to such aggression, whatever the kind of support, will also be considered as legitimate targets.”

READ: Trump warns US will bomb bridge or power plant for every attack on ship in Hormuz

The remarks came hours after US President Donald Trump warned that Washington would strike Iranian infrastructure if Tehran attacked commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said the US would target Iranian bridges or power plants in response to any Iranian missile, drone or other attack on commercial shipping in the strategic waterway.

Earlier, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned that no country in the region would be able to sell oil if Iran was prevented from doing so, adding that the Strait of Hormuz would not return to its pre-war status and that regional security depended on the absence of US forces.

​​​​​​​The exchange reflects rising tensions over the Strait of Hormuz following the Iran-US war and continuing disputes over navigation and security arrangements in the strategic waterway.

READ: Iran threatens attacks on regional energy infrastructure after Trump’s threat over Hormuz

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingIran warns any attack on its infrastructure will trigger ‘powerful’ response

Trump warns US will bomb bridge or power plant for every attack on ship in Hormuz

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

US President Donald Trump holds a press conference at the Presidential Complex during the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government in Ankara, Turkiye, on July 8, 2026. [Doğukan Keskinkılıç – Anadolu Agency]

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Washington would bomb an Iranian bridge or power plant each time Tehran attacks a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu reports.

“From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT, including those located next to, or in, the Capital City of Tehran,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The US has been carrying out a series of strikes across Iran since last week, while Tehran has responded with strikes targeting facilities and bases it said were used by the US military in several countries across the region.

The exchange of fire has continued despite a Pakistani-brokered framework agreement signed by the US and Iran in June to end the war that began in February and pave the way for a lasting peace deal.

READ: Trump says 18 US troops killed during war with Iran

Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingTrump warns US will bomb bridge or power plant for every attack on ship in Hormuz