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Khamenei Officially Endorses Alleged Moderate as Iran’s President
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gives a Presidential decree to Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, during an endorsement ceremony in Tehran, Iran, July 28, 2024. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
Iran’s supreme leader formally endorsed Masoud Pezeshkian as the country’s president on Sunday, after he won an election this month by pledging a pragmatic foreign policy and easing repression at home.
Pezeshkian, an alleged moderate who will be sworn in on Tuesday, is taking office at a time of escalating Middle East tensions over the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iran warned its arch foe Israel on Sunday against what it called any new adventure in Lebanon, after Israeli authorities blamed Hezbollah for a rocket attack on Saturday that hit a football ground in the Golan Heights killing 12 people, and vowed to inflict a heavy response.
Hezbollah denied any responsibility for the strike.
In a ceremony broadcast live on state television, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave his approval for Pezeshkian, and in a speech afterwards, the supreme leader reiterated Iran’s longstanding anti-Israel stance.
“The Zionist regime (Israel) is not a state, it is a criminal gang, a bank of killers, and a terrorist band,” Khamenei said in his speech, while praising the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas for its resistance against Israel in Gaza.
With the supreme leader calling the shots on all state matters, Pezeshkian is not expected to usher in major shifts on Iran’s policies like Tehran’s support for terrorist groups across the region.
The top authority in regional policy is not the president, but the powerful Revolutionary Guards, who answer only to Khamenei.
Pezeshkian’s victory lifted hopes of a thaw in Iran’s antagonistic relations with the West that might create openings for defusing its nuclear dispute with world powers.
But as the ultimate authority in Iran, Khamenei has the final say in all state matters like the country’s foreign and nuclear policy as well as Pezeshkian’s upcoming selections for key cabinet posts, such as the foreign, oil and intelligence ministers.
As the clerical establishment faces growing public discontent over economic hardships, Pezeshkian’s top economic goal will be breaking free of the crippling U.S. sanctions, reimposed after Washington ditched Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.
“In response to global issues, we should act proactively and effectively … priorities must be observed, today (on domestic front) the priority is economic issues,” said Khamenei.
Pezeshkian is replacing hardline President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash in May.
The post Khamenei Officially Endorses Alleged Moderate as Iran’s President first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Says It Targeted Energy Infrastructure Site Used by Houthis Near Yemeni Capital
A damaged oil tank lies on the ground at the Hiziaz power station after it was attacked by Israeli missile strikes in Sanaa, Yemen, August 17, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
The Israeli military said it had targeted an energy infrastructure site that was used by the Iran-aligned Houthis south of the Yemeni capital Sanaa early on Sunday, with Israeli media saying the Haziz power station had been hit.
The military said in a statement that the strikes were in response to repeated attacks by the Houthis against Israel, including launching missiles and drones towards its territory.
Israeli media reported earlier that the attack on the Haziz power station near the capital was carried out by the Israeli navy.
Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said that the power station was hit by an “aggression,” knocking some of its generators out of service. It did not indicate the source of the attack.
Teams were able to contain a resulting fire, Al Masirah reported, citing the deputy prime minister.
At least two explosions were heard earlier in Sanaa, residents said.
Israel has been bombing Yemen in response to Houthi attacks on Israel. The Yemeni group has been firing missiles towards Israel, most of which have been intercepted, in what they describe as support for Palestinians during the war in Gaza.
The United States and the UK have also previously launched attacks against the Houthis in Yemen.
In May, the US announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to the group’s attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel.
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GPS Disruptions Continue in Iran Weeks After Conflict with Israel
Smoke rises following an Israeli attack in Tehran, Iran, June 18, 2025. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
i24 News – Nearly two months after the unprecedented conflict between Iran and Israel, GPS disruptions are still affecting users across Iran, AFP reports.
The interference began after Israel’s surprise attack in mid-June and the 12-day war that followed.
The Iranian Ministry of Communications has cited “security and military reasons” for the interruptions but provided no further details.
For ordinary Iranians, the disruptions have become a daily headache. “I haven’t been able to work for weeks,” said Farshad Fooladi, a Tehran driver using the local ride-hailing app Snapp. “Most of the time is wasted wandering without direction.”
GPS signals are crucial not only for civilian navigation but also for military applications, such as guiding missiles, drones, and rockets. While Iran has previously jammed or hacked satellite signals near sensitive military sites, experts say the current disruptions are the largest and longest-lasting recorded.
In Tehran, already-congested streets have become increasingly difficult to navigate, impacting both drivers and businesses that rely on geolocation. It remains unclear how long the measures will continue or what the economic cost will be for Iranian citizens.
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Trump: ‘Significant Progress with Russia, Stay Tuned’
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Photo: Reuters/Maxim Shemetov
i24 News – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Sunday in Brussels with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who hosted him at her main office. The visit came as US President Donald Trump suggested “significant progress” in talks with Russia, urging the public to “stay tuned” following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
At a joint press conference, von der Leyen pledged the EU’s continued backing for Kyiv. “We will support Ukraine as long as it is required, for a just and lasting peace. There can be no restrictions on the armed forces of Ukraine,” she said. The Commission president called for Ukraine to become a “steel porcupine” against its enemies, stressing investment in the defense industry, particularly drones, and declaring: “International borders cannot be changed by force.”
Von der Leyen also announced plans to advance the EU’s 19th package of sanctions against Russia by September, insisting that “only Ukraine can choose its own fate.” She added that the bloc would do everything possible to support an eventual agreement between Kyiv and Moscow.
Meanwhile, senior US officials signaled an American push toward a negotiated settlement. Trump’s Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, told CNN that the president seeks “a ceasefire and a quick peace agreement that will guarantee protection for European countries.” He claimed the Alaska summit yielded “significant security guarantees” for Ukraine and confirmed Washington would discuss potential territorial compromises with Kyiv.
Republican Senator Marco Rubio, speaking on NBC and ABC, described a complex road to peace. “For the war to end, there are things Russia wants that it cannot get, and there are things Ukraine wants that it will not achieve,” he said. While noting that a ceasefire “is still on the table,” Rubio warned that Moscow has yet to agree. He stressed that if no deal is reached, Russia could face “further consequences, including severe sanctions.”