US complicit in Israeli attacks, must be held accountable: Araghchi
Press TV – June 15, 2025
The Iranian foreign minister says the United States must accept its responsibility for Israel’s deadly aggression against the country as multiple evidence shows American forces helped the regime wage its terrorist assault.
“We have solid evidence indicating that American forces and bases in the region have supported the attacks by the Israeli regime’s military forces,” Abbas Araghchi told foreign envoys in Tehran on Sunday.
He also referred to remarks by US President Donald Trump, who said the Israeli strikes were not possible without American equipment and that more raids were on the agenda.
“Therefore, in our view, the US is a partner in these attacks and it must accept its responsibility. Of course, we have focused on targets inside the Zionist regime in response to the attacks,” Araghchi added.
The Israeli aggression against Iran could not have occurred without the agreement and support of the United States, he said.
Meanwhile, the top Iranian diplomat said that Israel had “crossed a new red line” in international law by targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Unfortunately, he noted, the serious Israeli violation was met with “indifference” at the United Nations Security Council.
Araghchi further emphasized that Iran’s response to Israeli attacks was based on the principle of self-defense in international relations and that every country has the legitimate right to defend itself against aggression.
He also said that the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Board of Governors will on Monday hold an emergency meeting on the Israeli attack on the Natanz nuclear site, expressing hope that it will condemn the raid as a flagrant violation of international law.
Additionally, the foreign minister stressed that Iran does not want the war with Israel to expand to other countries or the region “unless it’s imposed on us.”
“Basically, we did not initiate this war and we were pursuing diplomacy regarding our nuclear program, but this aggression was imposed on us. We are defending ourselves and this defense is completely legitimate,” he said. “Therefore, if the aggression stops, our reactions will naturally stop as well,” he said.
Also in his remarks, Araghchi highlighted Iran-US indirect nuclear talks and Israel’s disruption of the diplomatic process.
“It is absolutely clear that the Israeli regime does not want any agreement on the nuclear issue… The aggression against Iran amid nuclear talks demonstrates that the Israeli regime is opposed to any form of negotiation,” he pointed out.
The US government should condemn Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites if Washington wants to prove its goodwill and distance itself from the conflict, he concluded.
UK moving jets to Middle East for ‘contingency support in the region’
Al Mayadeen | June 14, 2025
The United Kingdom is sending additional fighter jets and support aircraft to the Middle East as part of what Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as “contingency support” for the region, following Israel’s deadly strikes on Iran.
Speaking en route to the G7 summit in Canada, Starmer reiterated calls for de-escalation but stopped short of ruling out military support for “Israel”. Asked whether British forces could be involved in defending “Israel” against Iranian retaliation, he said, “I will always make the right decisions for the UK,” adding, “We are moving assets to the region, including jets, and that is for contingency support in the region.”
Downing Street confirmed the move includes additional fast jets and refueling aircraft joining existing UK deployments. Preparations reportedly began Friday, just hours after Israeli forces launched a wave of airstrikes targeting senior Iranian military leaders and nuclear facilities.
Pressed further on the UK’s potential involvement in countering Iranian missiles or drones, Starmer declined to offer specifics, “These are obviously operational decisions and the situation is ongoing and developing, and therefore I’m not going to get into the precise details. But we are moving assets… and that is for contingency support across the region.”
No word on prior knowledge of Israeli strikes
The UK government has not confirmed whether it had prior knowledge of the Israeli operation, although Starmer indicated coordination was taking place: “I’m not going to go into what information we had at the time or since… there’s a constant flow of information between our allies, and between us and the US.”
The prime minister also revealed that he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, and other world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“I suspect that when we get to the G7 there will be many other exchanges of views on an intense basis,” Starmer said. “We do have longstanding concerns about the nuclear programme that Iran has, and we do recognise Israel’s right to self-defence. But I am absolutely clear that this needs to de-escalate. There’s a huge risk to escalation for the region and more widely in terms of conflict. We have seen the impact already on the economy and oil prices.”
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary David Lammy also spoke with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, echoing Starmer’s message for restraint, “We’re having ongoing discussions with our allies all of the time,” Starmer said, “Our constant message is de-escalate.”
Diplomatic Collapse
The Iranian Foreign Ministry declared further nuclear negotiations with the US “pointless” under these conditions, asserting that “Israel’s hostile measures against Iran were the result of Washington’s direct support for the regime.”
Oman has since confirmed the cancellation of the Muscat talks, reflecting the collapse of diplomacy under Western duplicity.
As Iran reaffirms its legitimate right to self-defense under international law, the UK’s actions suggest not neutrality but strategic complicity.
The Islamic Republic continues to urge the international community to abandon double standards and take a principled stance against “Israel’s” lawless aggression.
Tucker Carlson blasts Trump over Iran attack
RT | June 14, 2025
US President Donald Trump’s support for Israel’s strikes in Iran could spark an “all-out war” in the Middle East, American journalist Tucker Carlson has warned.
Early Friday morning, IDF jets bombed nuclear and military sites across Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate with a barrage of drones and missiles targeting Israeli cities. The escalation threatens ongoing negotiations over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, which Trump revived earlier this year.
In what he described as possibly his “final newsletter before all-out war,” Carlson – a key Trump ally during the 2024 presidential election – argued that the US was “complicit in the act of war.”
“While the American military may not have physically perpetrated the assault, years of funding and sending weapons to Israel, which Donald Trump just bragged about on Truth Social, undeniably place the US at the center of last night’s events,” Carlson wrote.
“Washington knew these attacks would happen. They aided Israel in carrying them out. Politicians purporting to be ‘America First’ can’t now credibly turn around and say they had nothing to do with it,” he added.
In a post on X, Carlson contended that “the real divide” is not between supporters of Israel and Iran, but “between warmongers and peacemakers.”
“Who are the warmongers? They would include anyone who’s calling Donald Trump today to demand air strikes and other direct US military involvement in a war with Iran,” he said.
Carlson stated that the “warmongers” include talk show hosts Sean Hannity and Mark Levin, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and Republican donors Ike Perlmutter and Miriam Adelson.
While the US State Department has denied involvement in the strikes, Trump confirmed he had prior knowledge of the Israeli operation and praised the attacks as “excellent.” He blamed Iran for the hostilities and accused it of refusing to accept the terms of his proposed nuclear deal.
Addressing the UN Security Council, Iranian envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said the US and other Israeli allies “share full responsibility for the consequences” of Israel’s actions.
US gave Israel 100s of laser-guided missiles knowing they would be used against Iran: Report
Press TV – June 14, 2025
The United States quietly delivered hundreds of advanced laser-guided missiles to the Israeli regime, knowing that the projectiles would be used by it towards attacking Iran.
The Middle East Eye (MEE) news and analysis website carried the report on Saturday, identifying its sources as US officials, and naming the projectiles in question as air-to-surface Hellfire missiles.
“There is a time and place for Hellfires. They were useful to Israel [as it was seeking to strike the Islamic Republic],” a senior American military official told the website.
The US also provided the regime with the missiles, knowing that their features specifically armed Tel Aviv for surgical strikes, it added.
Also on Friday, the US president, himself, confirmed in remarks to Reuters that he and his team knew the attacks were coming. “We knew everything,” Donald Trump said.
Observers, meanwhile, note that reports of Washington’s unstinting arms support — aimed at further equipping the regime to better target the Islamic Republic — have emerged, despite the United States being engaged in indirect talks with Iran, ostensibly to give diplomacy a chance.
The MEE further reported that the Trump administration had prior knowledge of the plan for “months.”
The Israeli aggression, targeting various cities across Iran, including the capital, Tehran, included a series of precision attacks aimed at assassinations, which led to the martyrdom of Major General Hossein Salami, the former commander-in-chief of the IRGC.
Among the other victims were Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the IRGC’s aerospace division, and Major General Gholam-Ali Rashid, commander of the country’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters.
The attacks also claimed the lives of veteran nuclear scientists Mohammad-Mehdi Tehranchi, Fereydoun Abbasi, and Dr. Abdol-Hamid Minoucher, along with more than 70 civilians, including children and women.
The Islamic Republic has responded by firing dozens of missiles and drones towards sensitive and strategic targets across the occupied Palestinian territories.
The retaliation began on Friday and lasted into Saturday, when a new wave of Iranian missiles began targeting the regime.
Iran has, meanwhile, hailed the reprisal as a “major blow” to the regime, and vowed that it is well capable of repeating the operation.
Providing the pledge in a televised interview on Saturday, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, a senior advisor to the chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), said the reprisal, codenamed Operation True Promise III, had witnessed the Corps’ successfully strike at least 150 Israeli targets, including critically strategic bases.
US Involved in Shooting Down Iranian Missiles – Reports
Sputnik – 14.06.2025
Israel received help from US air defense systems and a Navy destroyer in shooting down Iranian missiles launched in response to Israel’s attack on Iran, The Washington Post reported, citing US officials.
Anonymous US officials told The Washington Post that the US has both ground-based Patriot missile defense systems and Terminal High Altitude Air Defense systems (THAAD) in the Middle East. American air defense systems, as well as a US Navy destroyer in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, were used to shoot down Iranian missiles heading toward Israel, the officials said.
US fighter jets are also patrolling the sky in the Middle East and the US is shifting its military resources, including ships, in the region, The Washington Post specified.
Iranian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani told the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Friday that Israel’s aggression against Iran was intentional and fully backed by Washington. Iravani emphasized that Iran “will not forget that our people lost their lives as [a] result of the Israeli attacks with American weapons. These actions amount to a declaration of war.”
Iravani said that at least 78 people were killed and 320 others were injured as a result of Israel’s strikes against Iran, which started in the early hours of Friday, as part of Operation Rising Lion. Attacks across Iran – including Tehran – killed top military officials and Iranian nuclear scientists.
US Representative Pitt McCoy said on Friday during a UNSC meeting that the United States was informed about Israeli strikes against Iran ahead of time but was not militarily involved in the operation.
Iran launched a retaliation, dubbed Operation True Promise 3, against military targets in Israel on Friday, in response to Israel’s strikes.
Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei has called Israel’s attacks a crime and vowed Israel would face a “bitter and terrible fate.”
Iran finalizes domestic readiness to resume op. on ‘Israel’: Official
Al Mayadeen | June 14, 2025
Iran has completed all necessary domestic preparedness measures to sustain its ongoing military campaign against “Israel”, according to a statement by the Secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council released on Saturday.
“Domestic preparedness issues have also been reviewed, and the necessary measures have been taken,” the state-run IRIB broadcaster quoted the secretariat as saying.
The announcement followed a high-level meeting of Iran’s security council on June 13, during which officials reviewed the evolving situation and discussed potential retaliatory actions in response to any future acts of aggression by “Israel”.
During the session, the council reportedly approved plans to continue Iran’s military operations, signaling Tehran’s commitment to respond forcefully to any further attacks on its territory.
This latest move underscores Tehran’s strategic approach to counter the ongoing Israeli aggression and reinforces Iran’s readiness to escalate its military response if provoked.
Iran resumes its defense
Iran has launched an estimated seven missile salvos targeting “Israel” in retaliation for its aggression on numerous Iranian regions and sensitive military and nuclear sites.
At dawn, Iran launched a fresh wave of missiles targeting Tel Aviv and vast areas across northern “Israel” amid a state of high alert in occupied territories, Israeli media reported during the early hours of Saturday.
The Israeli occupation then acknowledged the deaths of two settlers and injuries of 40 others in the bombardment of Rishon LeZion in central “Israel”, as reports relay concerns for casualties stuck beneath the rubble. Israeli media additionally reported that around 10 firefighting and rescue teams are operating in the area.
Israeli media further emphasized that the destruction in the central district has been unprecedented, with larger devastation inflicted in Iran’s latest retaliation.
The casualties have risen to three killed and over 170 injured across “Israel”, some of whom are in critical condition, as per Israeli army reports.
Continuation of Iran-US talks amid Israel’s savagery ‘unjustifiable’: FM
Press TV – June 14, 2025
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the continuation of indirect talks between Iran and the United States amid Israel’s savagery is “unjustifiable.”
Araghchi made the remarks in a phone conversation with the European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Saturday, a day after the Israeli regime launched deadly aggression on various civilian and military areas and residential neighborhoods in the capital, Tehran, and other major cities.
The barbaric onslaught claimed dozens of innocent lives, including a number of the Islamic Republic’s top military officials and commanders.
In a crushing response, code-named Operation True Promise III, hundreds of missiles were fired by Iran on Friday evening and successfully breached the Israeli regime’s much-touted multi-layered air defense system.
Since April, Tehran and Washington have held five rounds of indirect negotiations, mediated by Oman, over Iran’s nuclear program amid repeated shifts in US stances, which have prompted Iranian officials to criticize the “contradictory” statements made by their American counterparts.
Araghchi said on Saturday that messages and statements by the US president proved that Israel’s hostile measures against Iran were the result of Washington’s direct support for the regime.
He strongly condemned Israel’s violation of Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, its attacks on nuclear facilities and residential areas, which killed a number of military figures, university professors and Iranian women and children.
He said the international community should show a decisive reaction in condemnation of Israel’s aggression.
He added that the Iranian government and people seriously expect all countries that claim to support peace and the rule of law to denounce Israel’s criminal actions and to exert pressure on the regime to stop its aggression and lawlessness.
The Iranian foreign minister also criticized a resolution adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, drafted by the US and the European troika, against the Islamic Republic’s peaceful nuclear energy program, describing it as an excuse that prepared the ground for the Israeli regime’s hostile action.
“Based on international law, the attack on peaceful nuclear facilities is completely illegal and prohibited and the international community is obligated to hold the Zionist regime accountable for this dangerous and unprecedented violation of the law,” Araghchi said.
On Thursday, the 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution accusing Iran of “non-compliance” with its nuclear obligations.
The resolution, drafted by the United States, Britain, France and Germany, was passed with 19 votes in favor, three against, and 11 abstentions. Russia, China, and Burkina Faso voted against it. Among the countries that abstained were South Africa, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, and Brazil.
Araghchi pointed to Iran’s diplomatic initiatives to draw global attention to the dangers posed by Israel’s destabilizing actions and called on the European Union and the permanent members of the UN Security Council to take a responsible stance in condemning the regime’s acts of aggression and punishing it.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran gave a decisive response to the Zionist regime’s aggression in order to protect its national sovereignty, people, and security, and is determined to exercise its legitimate right to take reciprocal action,” he emphasized.
The EU foreign policy chief, for her part, expressed deep concern over the escalation of tensions in the region.
Kallas expressed the EU’s readiness to support diplomatic efforts in the Security Council and other international bodies to help ease tensions and restore peace and security to the region.
Iran calls on UN Security Council to hold Israeli regime accountable for its crimes
Press TV – June 13, 2025
Iran’s Permanent Representative of to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani, addressed an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Saturday
Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani, addressed an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Saturday following the Israeli military aggression against the Islamic Republic.
He called on the UN Security Council to “strongly condemn” the “illegal aggression” by the Israeli regime and demanded urgent and concrete measures by the world body to hold the regime accountable and prevent further destabilization of international peace and security.
Israel launched a series of premeditated and coordinated attacks early on Friday, targeting multiple Iranian cities, including nuclear facilities and vital civilian infrastructure.
The envoy described the Natanz nuclear site in central Iran’s Isfahan province – under full International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards – as a primary target.
“These criminal and savage attacks have killed at least 78 people, including senior military officials and innocent civilians, among them women and children, with over 320 wounded,” he told the gathering.
Iravani described the latest strikes as deliberate massacres and acts of terrorism, violating international law and human conscience.
The ambassador criticized the UN Security Council and UN nuclear agency for their inaction in response to Iran’s repeated warnings about Israeli threats to its nuclear facilities, accusing them of emboldening the regime to escalate aggression and cross red lines.
Iravani emphasized the potential catastrophic radiological consequences of attacks on safeguarded nuclear sites, warning that the effects could extend far beyond Iran’s borders.
He said Israel’s aggression also violated the sovereignty of Iraq, whose airspace was used for the aggression, with the Iraqi permanent mission to the UN formally protesting the breach.
The ambassador held the United States responsible for enabling the Israeli strikes, citing Washington’s intelligence, political support, and weapons transfers.
“The complicity of the United States in these terrorist acts is undeniable,” he said.
Iran reaffirmed its inherent right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Recalling Security Council Resolution 487 (1981), which condemned Israel’s previous attack on Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor, Iravani called on the council to enforce international law and hold Israel accountable. He stressed that decades of inaction and double standards have emboldened Israel’s aggressive conduct.
“Any failure to act now,” he warned, “would signify the collapse of the international system and invite chaos.”
The Nova Music Festival Exhibit: An Exercise in Racist Porn Propaganda to Justify Genocide
By Karin Brothers | Global Research | June 12, 2025
The Nova Music Festival Exhibit now touring North America is described on its website as:
… an in-depth remembrance of the brutal massacre at The Nova Music Festival on October 7th, 2023. The installation sets out to recreate a festival dedicated to peace and love that was savagely cut short by a terrorist attack on that fateful day. The attack at The Nova Music Festival was the largest massacre in music history. This groundbreaking installation is presented as a way to empower visitors to responsibly explore & bear witness to the tragic events of October 7 and its aftermath. …
The exhibit, now in Toronto, has been shown in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. Its purpose (besides raising money and membership “for the Nova community”) is implicitly to rationalize Israel’s extermination of Gazans by generating hatred of Palestinians as inhumane and terrorist. The Hamas breakout, presented with no context, portrays it as sex-fueled and wantonly destructive.
I was aware that independent investigators had discredited Israeli claims that on October 7th Hamas had committed rapes, “killed babies” or burned them, but I wanted to examine the legitimacy of this exhibit because the Toronto school board had sent students to it.
Tickets ranged in price from $28 to $360 with everything over $18 donated to “the Nova community”. I wondered about the exhibit’s requirement not to wear a face covering unless “medically essential”.
When I arrived at the venue with my ticket (which could only be purchased online, after providing my home address and e-mail address), I was met with a sign that said by entering the exhibit, I consented to having my photo taken. So one of the costs of this exhibit was being coerced into sacrificing facial recognition privacy: a facial biometric scan connected to key information. (Was it a coincidence that two e-mail accounts ceased to function due to a “system error” after I purchased the tickets? Days later, it’s not clear that they can ever be recovered.) On entering, visitors had to pass through metal-checking gates and searches similar to those in airports.
The exhibit venue is in a mammoth structure that appeared to have been a mall. Most of the space was devoted to the exhibit, with a gift shop and a large seated area for membership and donation pitches for “the Nova community” or “the Nova Tribe” at the end. The dark, cavernous exhibit space tried to recreate what it would have been like at the abandoned festival site, with signs and dozens of computer screens featuring witness accounts and other information. An introductory sign at the beginning claimed that on October 7, 2023, three thousand “Hamas terrorists” entered Israel, raping and burning people. An introductory film, probably a reenactment, showed a packed Nova crowd jumping up and down and waving their arms to music before a “red alert” at around 6:30 am.
The computer screens, along with written signs, included what were claimed to be witness reports of sexual abuse and rape. The first was from first responders “Zaka” and a Rami Davidian, who both made pornographic claims that they found abused women who were naked, tied to trees with legs “spreadeagled” [sic]. Another exhibit claimed that Hamas sexually abused “both sexes”.
Intensive investigations, including one by Max Blumenthal(1), found that there was no evidence to support the claims of rape, or of the burning or killing of “babies” (one child was killed by accident). An early UN report that seemed to echo the sexual abuse claims was presented with the admission that the Special Rapporteur had “gone dark”, implicitly questioning the discredited accounts.(2)
Continuing through the exhibit, visitors pass the computer screens while wandering through what looks like hastily abandoned campsites, mock- ups of concrete shelters and a few incinerated, deformed cars. A sign at the end claims that (despite virtually all captives’ reports) Hamas beats and starves the hostages. Handwritten cards were on display through the end of the exhibit that appear to be visitor feedback, which showed how emotionally affected many were by the exhibit.
The exhibit played on the self-serving stereotypes of Jewish victimhood and Palestinian “terrorism”, clearly designed to leave naive visitors with a hatred of Palestinians and a rationalization for their extermination. The pornographic rape accounts, which were discredited well before the exhibit was put together, are at the shocking heart of this show. I saw no pictures of the fleet of Israeli tanks or of the helicopter gunships that came out on that day, despite open publication in Israeli media. There was no explanation of how Hamas fighters with hand-held weapons were able to incinerate about 80 cars along with their festival occupants. I saw no mention of the Nova victims’ calls for help that went unheeded for over eight hours that day.
I did not see any mention in the exhibit that Israel had invoked its “Hannibal Directive”(3) — which allowed the killing of Israelis to prevent them taken as hostages. This directive was responsible for much of the day’s slaughter. Despite Israeli calls for their government to hold an independent investigation into what happened on October 7th, and how people were killed, none is scheduled.
No background to the October 7, 2023, event is provided: no mention of Gaza being under a brutal military occupation since 1967, no mention of Gazans being illegally incarcerated for over 20 years, no mention of Israel’s illegal blockade since 2006, its illegal takeover of one third of Gaza’s agricultural land, most of its fishing zone, and no mention of daily Israeli attacks on Gaza by land, sea and air. Or the fact that Gazans have been incarcerated with virtually no potable water on land that the UN claimed could not sustain life after 2020. Richard Falk, the former United Nations Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, not only called the Hamas breakout on October 7th “entirely justifiable”, given the context, but “long overdue”.(4)
The Hamas suicide mission was not to kill Israelis but to capture hostages connected to the Israeli military bases around Gaza’s border to exchange for the thousands of Palestinians held by Israel. Soon after the hostages’ arrival in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar told the Israelis that they would be safe and returned in a hostage exchange within a day or two.(5) Hamas did not expect the presence of the Nova rave event; its placement near Gaza’s border had been named just two days earlier.(6)
School boards that encourage students to visit this exhibit demonstrate a political agenda and a lack of responsibility to both the students and the greater community. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB), the largest school board in Canada, sent students to this exhibit while banning the joint Israeli-Palestinian and Academy award-winning “No Other Land” as “political”. Palestinian children in at least one TDSB elementary school are already confronted with hate- filled jibes that “Kids in Gaza deserve what they get.” Exposing students (or anyone else) to this exhibit can be expected to turn them against any justice for Palestinians unless they come with an understanding of the historical context and are able to identify the exhibit’s lies, omissions and half-truths. Given this school board’s bias, that preparation is unlikely.
This exhibit moves to Washington, D.C. in late June, 2025.
Karin Brothers is a freelance writer. She is a regular contributor to Global Research.
Notes
1. “Mass rape by Hamas on Oct 7? NYT coverage questioned by Max Blumenthal: Rising debated”. The Hill. January 4, 2024. https://thehill.com/video/mass-rape-by-hamas-on-oct-7-nyt-coverage-questioned-by-max-blumenthal-rising-debated/9302297/
2 Feminist Solidarity Network for Palestine. “Here’s what Pramila Patten’s UN report on Oct 7 sexual violence actually said”. Mondoweiss. March 11, 2024.
https://mondoweiss.net/2024/03/heres-what-pramila-pattens-un-report-on-oct-7-sexual-violence-actually-said/
3. “Israeli army used Hannibal Directive during October 7 Hamas attack: Report”. Al Jazeera. July 7, 2024.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/7/israeli-army-used-hannibal-directive-during-october-7-hamas-attack-report
4. “Ex-UN Rapporteur: October 7 Attack By Hamas Was ‘Long Overdue’”. Matsav. April 7, 2025.
https://matzav.com/ex-un-rapporteur-october-7-attack-by-hamas-was-long-overdue/
5. Harel, Amos. “Hamas Leader Sinwar Met Israeli Hostages in Gaza Strip Tunnels Day After October 7 Massacre”. Ha’aretz. November 28, 2023.
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-11-28/ty-article/.premium/hamas-leader-sinwar-met-israeli-hostages-in-gaza-strip-tunnels/0000018c-12d6-d65f-a7dd-f2d75b9f0000
6. Blumenthal, Max, Maté, Aaron. “Zero hour in Gaza – The Grayzone live.” Friday, October 13, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-p2bjA2b4U
Large Numbers in Congress Back Attack on Iran, Call for US to Support Israel
By Kyle Anzalone | The Libertarian Institute | June 13, 2025
Following the opening salvo in Israel’s bombardment of Iran, many members of Congress rushed to make statements declaring their support for the Jewish state. Some went further, demanding the White House defend the Jewish state from retaliation. A small number of lawmakers criticized Israel and called for Washington to stay out of the conflict.
Shortly after the start of the Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, military bases, and residential buildings, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) posted on X, “Game on. Pray for Israel.”
Graham led a chorus of largely Republican lawmakers who called for prayers for Israel as it attacked Iran.
Some lawmakers hoped the war would bring down the Iranian government. “The threat from Iran will only stop when the regime is destroyed.” Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (R-FL) added, “Anything less is just a temporary respite from the existential threat Iran poses to our allies and the free world.”
Many US members of Congress claimed that Israel’s preemptive attack on Iran was an act of defense. “Make no mistake: Israel is not the aggressor. It is defending itself against an existential threat that long predates the present preemptive strike. The true aggressor is the Islamic Republic and its empire of terror—an empire stained with the blood of innocent Israelis,” Bronx Democrat Rep. Ritchie Torres wrote on X.
Other members of Congress, including Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) framed the Israeli strikes as “defensive.”
Rep. Mike Lawler said that the Israeli strike was “justified,” but the US should attack Iran if Tehran responds to Tel Aviv’s war. “Let there be no doubt, we will defend our ally Israel, our other partners in the region, and our military and diplomatic personnel. Iran should understand that there will be grave consequences for any actions they take in response to this justified strike on their nuclear facilities,” he said.
A frequent argument given by members of Congress is that the nuclear weapons threat Iran poses to Israel justifies the ongoing Israeli attacks. “Iran has greatly expanded its uranium enrichment with the goal of producing nuclear weapons that pose an existential threat to Israel,” Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins wrote. “Our country too is at risk as Iran continues its development not only of fissile material but also of ballistic missiles. I hope the Israeli operation to eliminate Iran’s nuclear capability is successful.”
However, top intelligence officials in both the Trump and Joe Biden administrations repeatedly stated that Iran was not attempting to develop a nuclear weapon. During recent talks about its nuclear program with Washington, Tehran said it was willing to agree to caps on its energy program to ensure it was only used for civilian purposes.
That Director of National Intelligence affirmed in March that Iran was not making a nuclear weapon, did not stop Rep. Nancy Mace from asserting that the Islamic Republic was just “days” from building a nuclear weapon.
“We stand with Israel, fully and without hesitation. Iran was days away from a nuclear weapon. They fund terror and want Israel wiped off the map. Israel has the right, and the duty, to fight back,” she wrote on X. “America must never flinch.”
One of the most vocal Democrats supporting Israel is Sen. John Fetterman, who demanded that the White House aid the Israeli assault. “Our commitment to Israel must be absolute and I fully support this attack. Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel.” The post continued, “We must provide whatever is necessary—military, intelligence, weaponry—to fully back Israel in striking Iran.”
A handful of lawmakers did oppose the Israeli strikes. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) argued Tel Aviv’s war interfered with Trump’s effort to secure a new nuclear deal with Iran. “Netanyahu wasn’t trying to help diplomacy; he was trying to destroy diplomacy. How do we know? They reportedly targeted and killed Iran’s chief negotiator with Trump,” he wrote.
Additionally, Democratic Representatives Hank Johnson and Rashida Talib called on Congress to exercise its authority over war making. “As America is mired in internal turmoil — and with Hegseth, Gabbard, and Rubio at the controls — foreign leaders like Netanyahu are emboldened to achieve their narrow objectives at America’s expense.” Johnson continued, “Before it’s too late, Congress must stop being a rubberstamp and start exercising oversight to prevent America from being dragged into another war.”
Among Republicans, Senator Rand Paul and Congressman Thomas Massie called on Trump to avoid directly entering the war. “War with Iran is not in America’s interest. It would destabilize the region, cost countless lives, and drain our resources for generations,” Paul explained. “We should pursue diplomacy, not destruction. Engaging in dialogue with adversaries is not weakness; it’s the strength of a confident nation seeking peace. Our primary responsibility is to protect American lives.”
Rep Massie was the only member of Congress to point out that the war Israel launched on Friday was offensive, and a war of aggression. “Israel doesn’t need US taxpayers’ money for defense if it already has enough to start offensive wars.” His X post added, “I vote not to fund this war of aggression.”
Western hypocrisy: ‘Israel’ bombs Iran, Tehran told not to retaliate
Al Mayadeen | June 13, 2025
Top Western leaders have called for restraint in the wake of the ongoing Israeli aggression on Iranian territory. Brutal strikes targeted military, nuclear, and civilian infrastructure and led to multiple casualties. Yet, while urging de-escalation, these leaders have largely avoided condemning “Israel’s” violation of international law, choosing instead to direct their diplomatic pressure on Tehran not to retaliate.
The double standard is stark: while Iran has consistently operated within the framework of international law and the UN Charter, the Israeli entity has carried out cross-border aggression with impunity. Under Article 51 of the UN Charter, Iran has a recognized legal right to self-defense, a point conspicuously absent from most Western statements.
Europe avoids accountability for ‘Israel’
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the situation, not Israeli attacks, “dangerous” and appealed for restraint from “all sides”, despite Iran being the target of the aggression. Kallas, who reportedly spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar shortly after the attack, did not denounce the strikes or the violations of Iranian sovereignty.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed the vague language, urging parties to “exercise maximum restraint, de-escalate immediately, and refrain from retaliation.” The call placed the burden on Iran to avoid a response, while the Israeli entity’s unlawful actions were met with silence.
On his part, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani both stressed the need for “diplomacy”, but neither condemned the unilateral Israeli aggression. Tajani stated, “There is no solution but a diplomatic one. Actions and reactions are dangerous,” drawing false parity between attacker and victim.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron convened a special defense meeting but offered no criticism of “Israel’s” blatant breach of international norms.
Australia and NATO echo the US line
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking from Fiji, framed the issue around Iran’s nuclear program rather than the illegal nature of the Israeli strike. “We are very conscious of the threat that Iran becoming a nuclear state would represent,” he said, further aligning with Washington’s narrative. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs updated travel advisories, urging Australians to leave “Israel” and the occupied Palestinian territories.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, while warning of escalation, also avoided assigning blame, waving the “de-escalation” card for vague purposes.
“De-escalation is now the first order of the day,” he said, reflecting a Western consensus that implicitly tolerates Israeli militarism while expecting Iranian restraint.
Walking a delicate line
Former US President Donald Trump confirmed that he had been briefed ahead of the strikes and stated, “Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb. We are hoping to get back to the negotiating table,” again shifting the narrative away from Israeli accountability.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that the United States had no involvement in the strikes but issued a warning to Tehran, “Israel took unilateral action against Iran,” and any retaliation must not target US interests.
“We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Rubio said in an official statement. “Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense, Rubio added, although it was “Israel” that always initiated attacks against the Islamic Republic.
“Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel,” Rubio said, without addressing whether Washington would defend “Israel” in the event of Iranian retaliation, departing from traditional US messaging that often emphasizes unwavering support for the Israeli regime. This support came directly from the US president himself, who rushed to “Israel’s” rescue.
‘Both sides’ should avoid further destabilization
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer labeled the attacks “concerning” but urged all sides to reduce tensions, stopping short of condemning the aggression.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who received a direct call from Netanyahu, affirmed “Israel’s” so-called right to “self-defense” and echoed longstanding Western concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. He, too, urged both sides to avoid further destabilization, without acknowledging who initiated the escalation.
Tehran maintains right to self-defense
Iranian officials have underscored that the Islamic Republic has not initiated the war and that its actions have consistently adhered to international law. Tehran has emphasized that its right to respond is enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter, asserting that “Israel’s” continued violations of international law, coupled with Western silence, further undermine the credibility of global institutions.
The widespread Western calls for restraint, directed almost exclusively at Iran, highlight a longstanding hypocrisy: that Israeli violations of international law are tolerated, while Iranian sovereignty and legal rights are dismissed or ignored.
It is worth noting that this is happening as Oman was planning to host the sixth round of US‑Iran nuclear talks this Sunday in Muscat.
Tehran and Washington have held five rounds of talks since April to carve a new nuclear deal to replace the 2015 accord that Trump unilaterally withdrew from during his first term in 2018.
Iran has always reiterated its commitment to diplomacy while upholding its commitments under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, while the West has manipulated the agency to serve geopolitical goals.
It is worth noting that Iranian media outlets on Thursday published a series of documents that reveal covert coordination between IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and “Israel”, a collaboration Iranian officials say was designed to politicize the agency’s oversight of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.
Israel publicly confirms its military involvement in Ukraine
By Lucas Leiroz | Strategic Culture Foundation | June 13, 2025
While global attention remains focused on the rising tensions between Israel and Iran, a significant development has been largely ignored by Western media in recent days: the revelation of Israel’s involvement in the arming campaign for Ukraine.
Despite publicly maintaining an appearance of military neutrality in the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, the State of Israel has quietly deepened its collaboration with Western military interests in Ukraine. Recent statements from Israeli diplomatic representatives make it clear that Tel Aviv not only politically supports Kiev but also directly participates in the military effort against Russia.
In an interview with Ukrainian media, the Israeli ambassador in Kiev confirmed that air defense systems originally supplied by the United States to Israel were transferred to Ukraine. According to him, the delivery was deliberately kept secret and away from international headlines, demonstrating Israel’s attempt to participate in the conflict without attracting negative consequences.
The omission of logistical details about the delivery reveals a clear attempt to preserve an appearance of neutrality before the public. It remains unclear whether the equipment was sent directly by Israel or through third parties, suggesting an internationally coordinated operation to avoid diplomatic friction with Moscow.
Until recently, Tel Aviv claimed a stance of non-involvement in the Ukraine conflict, citing concerns about potential Russian retaliation—particularly in Syria, where Russian forces maintain a strategic presence. However, this justification is becoming increasingly obsolete in light of Israel’s actual behavior.
Historically, Russia has acted as a stabilizer in Syria, preventing clashes between Israel and anti-Zionist groups from escalating into a broader regional war. However, the regime change in Damascus — with the new government composed of former Al-Qaeda members — shifted the balance of power in the region, favoring Israeli interests. In a sense, this change emboldened Israel to take more provocative military actions, not only regionally, but also in conflicts outside its immediate sphere of interest.
The recent neutralization of Shiite militias in Syria, which were aligned with Tehran, and the rapprochement between the new Syrian government and Israel have created a more favorable environment for Tel Aviv’s foreign military maneuvers. Feeling less vulnerable to indirect retaliation, Israel now appears more willing to expand its involvement in conflicts beyond the Middle East, such as the one in Ukraine.
It’s important to recall that the first signs of Israeli military involvement in Ukraine emerged after U.S. missiles were withdrawn from Israeli territory and transferred to bases in Eastern Europe — specifically Poland, from where they were expected to be sent to Ukraine. At the time, some newspapers reported the story, but the absence of official confirmation left the issue unresolved and debatable. Now, with official admission, it is evident that Israel’s collaboration in the Western military campaign in Ukraine is a consolidated reality.
In the face of this hostile posture from Tel Aviv, Russia is likely to strengthen its regional alliances as a way to counterbalance Israeli actions. The partnership between Moscow and Tehran — recently reinforced through security and defense cooperation agreements — represents a strategic response to Western provocations against both countries and may also serve as a way to rein in Israel’s increasing “boldness,” both in the Middle East and abroad.
While Israel ignores the risks of regional destabilization by engaging in NATO-sponsored conflicts, Moscow has chosen to solidify ties with regional powers that share a multipolar vision of world order. Russian support for Iranian military development could serve as a clear warning that Israel’s involvement in proxy wars might carry a high price.
Israel’s decision to more openly support the Kiev regime marks a significant shift in its foreign policy, abandoning previous caution in favor of a stance more aligned with the interests of the Collective West. However, this move may bring unforeseen consequences — not only at the regional level but also in the structure of its bilateral relationship with Moscow.
Rather than seeking to preserve diplomatic channels with a major power like Russia, Israel appears willing to sacrifice this strategic relationship to appease its Western allies. In the long run, this gamble could prove to be a major geopolitical miscalculation — especially if Russia responds by deepening its military support for Tel Aviv’s most feared regional adversary: the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is also the political and military brain behind Hezbollah, the Houthis, and key Palestinian Resistance movements.
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