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By staff writer
Israel’s admission of Gaza death toll shatters its own denial
TEHRAN — A quiet admission from a senior Israeli military official has opened a door Israel has tried to keep shut for two years. By acknowledging that around 71,000 people have been killed in Gaza, the official effectively confirmed what the Gaza Health Ministry has been reporting since the start of the war.
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By Wesam Bahrani
Trump’s threats against Iraq could backfire
TEHRAN – The U.S. president’s aggressive rhetoric about Iraq’s political future may ultimately produce the opposite of its intended effect.
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By Shahrokh Saei
China leads the agenda: Xi–Starmer talks highlight the limits of US unilateralism
TEHRAN — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to China has highlighted a broader shift in global diplomacy, showcasing the contrast between nations willing to engage Beijing and the unilateral approach pursued by US President Donald Trump.
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By Shahrokh Saei
China leads the agenda: Xi–Starmer talks highlight the limits of US unilateralism
TEHRAN — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to China has highlighted a broader shift in global diplomacy, showcasing the contrast between nations willing to engage Beijing and the unilateral approach pursued by US President Donald Trump.
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By Wesam Bahrani
Trump’s threats against Iraq could backfire
TEHRAN – The U.S. president’s aggressive rhetoric about Iraq’s political future may ultimately produce the opposite of its intended effect.
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Persona non grata: South Africa expels Israel’s top diplomat
South Africa has ordered Israel’s top diplomat to the country to leave within 72 hours, citing “insulting attacks” on South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa on social media and the “abuse of diplomatic privilege”.
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By Sondoss Al Asaad
Lebanon’s 2026 budget: A state between social anger, political confusion, and regional fire
BEIRUT — Lebanon’s Parliament has approved the 2026 state budget by 59 votes in favor, 34 against, and 11 abstentions, closing three turbulent days of debate that exposed far more than fiscal disagreements.
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Syrian government and Kurdish-led SDF agree integration deal
Syria's government has reached a deal with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia alliance that would see the gradual integration of Kurdish forces and institutions into the state, the BBC reported.
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By staff writer
Israel’s admission of Gaza death toll shatters its own denial
TEHRAN — A quiet admission from a senior Israeli military official has opened a door Israel has tried to keep shut for two years. By acknowledging that around 71,000 people have been killed in Gaza, the official effectively confirmed what the Gaza Health Ministry has been reporting since the start of the war.
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Hamas official rejects foreign diktats on Palestinian arms
A senior Hamas political bureau member sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of obstructing the transition to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The remarks came after Netanyahu reiterated that Israel would not permit Gaza’s reconstruction unless armed groups in the Strip disarm, and insisted that Israeli security control would continue in both Gaza and the West Bank.
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By Wesam Bahrani
Israel's Rafah closure is a death sentence for Gaza's patients
TEHRAN – Israel's continued closure of the Rafah crossing amounts to a death sentence for thousands of Palestinian patients and wounded trapped in the Gaza Strip.
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By Sondoss Al Asaad
Lebanon’s paradox: An unfinished state and a necessary resistance
BEIRUT — The central challenge facing Lebanon today is often misrepresented as a confrontation between the “state” and the “Resistance.” In reality, it is a struggle between a state that has yet to be fully realized and a defensive necessity imposed by persistent danger.
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Trump’s ultimatum to Iraq: A blatant assault on sovereignty and the democratic order
TEHRAN — The recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki’s potential return to power represent a direct challenge to Iraq’s sovereignty and a troubling disregard for international norms.
