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As Iran’s Nuclear Program Is Attacked, the Palestinian Authority Is Turning Against It
Smoke rises following an Israeli attack in Tehran, Iran, June 18, 2025. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
In a rare open stance against Iran, a senior Palestinian Authority (PA) leader posted the following statement, ridiculing “foolish” Palestinians who support Iran:
“You must be in favor of Iran, otherwise you are in favor of the Zionists.” The logic of foolish people from the era of the Muslim Brotherhood that has passed from the world.”
[Former PLO official Adnan Al-Damiri, Facebook page, June 17, 2025]
The mention of the Muslim Brotherhood by the former official spokesman of the PA Security Forces, Adnan Al-Damiri, is a reference to Hamas, which is a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood founded in Egypt, as well as a terror proxy of Iran.
Al-Damiri’s statement is mocking both Hamas’ continued support for its patron, and Iran itself.
The Palestinian Authority and its officials have been silent regarding Israel’s war on Iran’s nuclear program since June 13. However, in an apparent declaration of taking sides against Iran and calling for regime change, the official PA daily reprinted on its front page the following call by the son of Iran’s late shah, Reza Pahlavi (who lives in the US), to Iran’s security forces to “abandon” the Iranian regime and “join the people.”
This report was published first by AFP:
Headline: “The son of Iran’s shah calls on the security forces to break away from the state”
“Washington (AFP) – The son of Iran’s late shah appealed Friday to the country’s security forces to abandon the cleric-run state, voicing hope for toppling the Islamic republic after Israel launched military strikes.
…
‘I have told the military, police, and security forces: break from the regime. Honor the oath of any honorable serviceman. Join the people.’
‘To the international community: do not throw yet another lifeline to this dying, terrorist regime,’ he said.
Pahlavi was crown prince in Iran’s pro-Western monarchy, which collapsed in 1979 in a mass revolution that quickly brought to power the clerical establishment that declared an Islamic republic.
Pahlavi, who lives in exile near Washington, says he is not necessarily looking for the restoration of the monarchy and wants to use his name to support the movement for secular democracy.
Reza Pahlavi has also enjoyed warm relations with Israel, which he toured two years ago.” [emphasis added]
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, June 15, 2025]
While the PA has not published any explicit position on Israel’s war against Iran’s nuclear program, the front-page article in the official PA daily containing an open call to side with the Iranian people and stop supporting the regime is a clear indication that while the PA will never publicly support Israel’s bombing to crush the Iranian regime, they will be ecstatic to see the backer of their political nemesis, Hamas, removed.
Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) has exposed the PA’s indirect criticism of Iran via its accusations against Hamas for “bringing hell on the Palestinian people” just to serve its Iranian “masters,” when it launched its terror war against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The PA has also mocked Iran for its ineffective missiles. When Iran launched hundreds of missiles against Israel in October 2024, the PA bragged that Palestinians kill Israelis more effectively than Iranian missiles do.
On the other hand, PMW reported last week that PA leader Abbas’ Fatah Party cheered the missiles falling on Israel, indicating that the PA’s signs of antagonism against Iran should not be interpreted as indicating any softening of its hatred of Israel.
The author is the founder and Director of Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this article first appeared.
The post As Iran’s Nuclear Program Is Attacked, the Palestinian Authority Is Turning Against It first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Rubio Heads to Israel Amid Tensions Among US Middle East Allies
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to members of the media, before departing for Israel at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, September 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard/Pool
US President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio headed to Israel on Saturday, amid tensions with fellow US allies in the Middle East over Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
Speaking to reporters before departure, Rubio reiterated that the US and President Donald Trump were not happy about the strikes.
Rubio said the US relationship with Israel would not be affected, but that he would discuss with the Israelis how the strike would affect Trump’s desire to secure the return of all the hostages held by Hamas, get rid of the terrorists and end the Gaza war.
“What’s happened, has happened,” he said. “We’re gonna meet with them. We’re gonna talk about what the future holds,” he said.
“There are still 48 hostages that deserve to be released immediately, all at once. And there is still the hard work ahead once this ends, of rebuilding Gaza in a way that provides people the quality of life that they all want.”
Rubio said it had yet to be determined who would do that, who would pay for it and who would be in charge of the process.
After Israel, Rubio is due to join Trump’s planned visit to Britain next week.
Hamas still holds 48 hostages, and Qatar has been one of the mediators, along with the US, trying to secure a ceasefire deal that would include the captives’ release.
On Tuesday, Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Doha. US officials described it as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests.
The strike on the territory of a close US ally sparked broad condemnation from other Arab states and derailed ceasefire and hostage talks brokered by Qatar.
On Friday, Rubio met with Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the White House, underscoring competing interests in the region that Rubio will seek to balance on his trip. Later that day, US President Donald Trump held dinner with the prime minister in New York.
Rubio’s trip comes ahead of high-level meetings at the United Nations in New York later this month. Countries including France and Britain are expected to recognize Palestinian statehood, a move opposed by Israel.
Washington says such recognition would bolster Hamas and Rubio has suggested the move could spur the annexation of the West Bank sought by hardline members of the Israeli government.
ON Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement to push ahead with a settlement expansion plan that would cut across West Bank land that the Palestinians seek for a state. Last week, the United Arab Emirates warned that this would cross a red line and undermine the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords that normalized UAE-Israel relations in 2020.
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Netanyahu Posts Message Appearing to Confirm Hamas Leaders Survived Doha Strike
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a Plenum session of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – In a statement posted to social media on Saturday evening, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the Qatar-based leadership of Hamas, reiterating that the jihadist group had to regard for the lives of Gazans and represented an obstacle to ending the war and releasing the Israelis it held hostage.
The wording of Netanyahu’s message appeared to confirm that the strike targeting the Hamas leaders in Doha was not crowned with success.
“The Hamas terrorists chiefs living in Qatar don’t care about the people in Gaza,” wrote Netanyahu. “They blocked all ceasefire attempts in order to endlessly drag out the war.” He added that “Getting rid of them would rid the main obstacle to releasing all our hostages and ending the war.”
Israel is yet to officially comment on the result of the strike, which has incurred widespread international criticism.
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Trump Hosts Qatari Prime Minister After Israeli Attack in Doha
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani attends an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, following an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, Sept. 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
US President Donald Trump held dinner with the Qatari prime minister in New York on Friday, days after US ally Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha.
Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an attack in Qatar on Tuesday, a strike that risked derailing US-backed efforts to broker a truce in Gaza and end the nearly two-year-old conflict. The attack was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could escalate tensions in a region already on edge.
Trump expressed annoyance about the strike in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sought to assure the Qataris that such attacks would not happen again.
Trump and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani were joined by a top Trump adviser, US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“Great dinner with POTUS. Just ended,” Qatar’s deputy chief of mission, Hamah Al-Muftah, said on X.
The White House confirmed the dinner had taken place but offered no details.
The session followed an hour-long meeting that al-Thani had at the White House on Friday with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
A source briefed on the meeting said they discussed Qatar’s future as a mediator in the region and defense cooperation in the wake of the Israeli strikes against Hamas in Doha.
Trump said he was unhappy with Israel’s strike, which he described as a unilateral action that did not advance US or Israeli interests.
Washington counts Qatar as a strong Gulf ally. Qatar has been a main mediator in long-running negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and for a post-conflict plan for the territory.
Al-Thani blamed Israel on Tuesday for trying to sabotage chances for peace but said Qatar would not be deterred from its role as mediator.