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Iran vows to strike Israel if hit

Iran has warned that any move that signals hostile intent by the enemy will be met with an appropriate, effective, and deterrent response. Ali Shamkhani, the representative of Iran’s Leader at the Supreme National Defense Council, has said that at present, our top priority is full readiness to deter any form of threat. He said striking deep inside the Israeli-occupied territories could be part of Iran’s response, adding that Iran will not confine the geography of war solely to the sea. Shamkhani said Iran has prepared itself for broader and more complex scenarios. The senior adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution added that Iran has identified the enemy’s operational plan and has full awareness of it. He said at the appropriate time, we will deliver blows to targets that will neutralize that plan at its very inception.

S Africa expels Israeli envoy

South Africa has expelled Israel’s top diplomat in a forceful diplomatic rebuke, accusing him of insulting the country’s president and abusing diplomatic privilege in a move that underscores rising international pushback against the Israeli regime’s conduct. South Africa has declared Israel’s senior diplomat, Ariel Seidman, persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within 72 hours. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation says Seidman used official social media platforms to launch insulting attacks against President Cyril Ramaphosa and breached diplomatic norms by acting outside his mandate, including inviting Israeli officials to South Africa without permission. The government said the move was necessary to defend national dignity and sovereignty. Israel later announced retaliatory steps against South Africa’s representative. South Africa took Israel to the International Court of Justice in December 2023, over the regime’s genocidal war in Gaza, a move that soured their bilateral ties.

Epstein files renew focus on Trump

The US Justice Department has released millions of pages of files linked to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The documents once again put President Donald Trump’s name under scrutiny. More than three million pages were made public, along with nearly 2,000 videos and One-hundred-80-thousand images. The files show what authorities knew about Epstein’s abuse of underage girls and his ties to powerful figures. President Trump is also mentioned in the documents. An FBI list of allegations linked to Trump is included as well. Other high-profile names also appear, but the focus is again on the sitting president. Justice Department officials deny trying to protect Trump and say the White House had no role in the review. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. But the release keeps his name tied to one of the darkest scandals involving wealth, power, and abuse.

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