Shahrokh Saei
Tehran Times

Israel’s airstrikes against Iran in the early hours of Friday are not just a military provocation — they are a sign of strategic desperation

The strikes, launched amid escalating tensions in the region, reflect Tel Aviv’s struggle to maintain dominance in a West Asia that is rapidly shifting in favor of resistance forces. Iran, having already demonstrated its missile and drone capabilities in past confrontations, is now positioned to deliver a powerful and measured response that could redefine the balance of power.

The initial reports of the attacks came from Tehran, soon followed by a cascade of explosions across multiple provinces. Social media footage shows widespread damage to civilian neighborhoods, underscoring the indiscriminate nature of the aggression. Israel later claimed responsibility, targeting sites in Natanz, Khorramabad, Khondab, and other areas. The Israeli military called the strike Operation ‘Rising Lion’.

This act of unprovoked aggression comes amid increasingly hostile rhetoric from Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose warmongering policies continue to destabilize the region. While U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to distance Washington from the strikes, calling them a “unilateral action,” observers across the region believe such a major operation could not have happened without at least tacit U.S. support — especially amid indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington.

In addition to structural damage, Israel’s attack reportedly killed several Iranian military personnel. Iran has pledged a strong response, making clear that such provocations will not go unanswered.

Shahrokh Saei
Tehran Times

A new round of negotiations held in the Qatari capital aimed at halting Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip has been thrust into the limelight as the death toll from regime’s onslaught in the besieged Palestinian territory passed the grime milestone of 40,000.

Senior American, Egyptian and Qatari officials held talks with an Israeli delegation in Doha on Thursday and Friday.

It has been reported that CIA director William Burns, White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel attended the talks. They met with the Israeli delegation which included Mossad chief David Barnea, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, and the Israeli military’s captive chief, Nitzan Alon.

Israelis have launched a smear campaign against Hamas which did not join the negotiations. The resistance movement wanted mediators to discuss a ceasefire plan based upon earlier negotiations rather than starting fresh talks. However, mediators relayed messages to Hamas officials based in Doha.

Israel’s excessive demands — Israel stands accused of adding new demands to a previous ceasefire plan presented by the US president on May 31.

On June 10, the United Nations Security Council approved a US resolution backing Joe Biden’s three-phased ceasefire plan to which Hamas agreed in principle.

The first phase of the Biden proposal would include a "full and complete ceasefire" lasting six weeks, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from all populated areas of Gaza, and the exchange of some of the captives held in the enclave in exchange for the release of Palestinian inmates from Israeli jails.

The second phase would involve the release of all remaining captives and a "permanent end to hostilities". The third would see the start of a major reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip which has been devastated during the Israeli onslaught that was launched on October 7 last year.

Shahrokh Saei
Tehran Times

Hamas fighters kill and capture Israeli soldiers in an ambush inside north Gaza tunnel

The tunnel network, which Israel has dubbed the "Gaza Metro", is effectively operating despite the regime’s claims of destroying a large part of it.

Hamas says it has built 500 kilometers (311 miles) worth of tunnels under the Gaza Strip. The efficiency of the tunnels came to light during fighting between Hamas fighters and Israeli forces in the Jabalia camp in northern Gaza.

The military wing of the resistance group released a video of the fighting on Sunday saying its fighters have captured and killed an unidentified number of Israeli soldiers after luring them into a tunnel.

💬 "Our fighters lured a Zionist force into an ambush inside a tunnel ... The fighters withdrew after they left all members of the force dead, wounded, and captured," Abu Ubaida, the spokesman for Al Qassam Brigades, said in a recorded message.

The footage shows an Israeli soldier being dragged along the ground in a tunnel and photos of military fatigue and rifles.

The ambush carried out by Hamas fighters highlights Israel’s false claims about destroying Hamas tunnels in Gaza and defeating the group in northern Gaza. Citing US intelligence, Politico reported last week that about 65 percent of Hamas tunnels are still intact. Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari claimed in early January this year that the regime had dismantled Hamas’s command network in northern Gaza and killed around 8,000 resistance fighters in that area.