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EU to Mull Measures Against Iran Over Possible Missile Transfers to Russia: Draft
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, Dec. 7, 2023. Photo: Sputnik/Sergei Bobylev/Pool via REUTERS
European Union leaders are ready to respond with new and significant measures against Iran amid reports that Tehran may transfer ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine, draft conclusions of a summit to be held next week said.
“The European Council calls on third parties to immediately cease providing material support to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” said the draft text, seen by Reuters.
Iran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, six sources told Reuters, deepening the military cooperation between the two countries, which are both under US sanctions..
“Reports that Iran may transfer ballistic missiles and related technology to Russia for use against Ukraine are very concerning,” the draft conclusions of the March 21-22 summit said.
“The European Union is prepared to respond swiftly and in coordination with international partners, including with new and significant measures against Iran.”
The conclusions also said the leaders would call on High Representative Josep Borrell and the Commission to prepare further sanctions against Belarus, North Korea, and Iran.
France, Germany, and Britain last September retained ballistic missile and nuclear proliferation-related sanctions on Iran that were set to expire in October under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Officials at the time said that decision had been made in large part due to Russia’s use of Iranian drones against Ukraine and the possibility Iran might transfer ballistic missiles to Russia.
British Defense Minister Grant Shapps said in an interview with House Magazine earlier this month that London had information concerning Iran‘s provision of ballistic missiles to Russia.
“I do. I can’t go into it,” Schapps was quoted as saying. “Whether it’s ballistic missiles, or the Shahed drones that they supplied Russia with, we’ve seen that if there’s struggle in the world, often Iran are egging it on, or helping to supply the food chain in this case.”
The post EU to Mull Measures Against Iran Over Possible Missile Transfers to Russia: Draft first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Trump Nominates State Dept Spokeswoman Bruce as US Deputy Representative to UN
FILE PHOTO: U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce speaks during her first press briefing at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 6, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was nominating State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce as the next US deputy representative to the United Nations.
Bruce has been the State Department spokesperson since Trump took office in January.
In a post on social media in which Trump announced her nomination, the president said she did a “fantastic job” as State Department spokesperson. Bruce will need to be confirmed for the role by the US Senate, where Trump’s Republican Party holds a majority.
During press briefings, she has defended the Trump administration’s foreign policy decisions ranging from an immigration crackdown and visa revocations to US responses to Russia’s war in Ukraine and Israel’s war in Gaza, including a widely condemned armed private aid operation in the Palestinian territory.
Bruce was previously a political contributor and commentator on Fox News for over 20 years.
She has also authored books like “Fear Itself: Exposing the Left’s Mind-Killing Agenda” that criticized liberals and left-leaning viewpoints.
In a post after Trump’s announcement, Bruce thanked him and suggested that the role was a “few weeks” away. Neither Trump nor Bruce mentioned an exact timeline in their online posts.
“Now I’m blessed that in the next few weeks my commitment to advancing America First leadership and values continues on the global stage in this new post,” Bruce wrote on X.
Trump has picked former White House national security adviser Mike Waltz to be his U.N. envoy. Waltz’s Senate confirmation for that role, wherein he will be Bruce’s boss, is still due.
Waltz was Trump’s national security adviser until he was ousted on May 1 after he was caught up in a March scandal involving a Signal chat among top Trump national security aides on military strikes in Yemen. Trump then nominated Waltz as his U.N. ambassador.
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Iran Says IAEA Official to Visit for Talks, No Access to Nuclear Sites Planned
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addresses a special session of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
A senior official from the U.N. nuclear watchdog will fly to Iran for talks on Monday, but no visit to nuclear sites is planned, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday.
Since Israel launched its first military strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites during a 12-day war in June, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been unable to access Iran’s facilities, despite IAEA chief Rafael Grossi stating that inspections remain his top priority.
Iran has accused the agency of effectively paving the way for the bombings by issuing a damning report on May 31, which led the IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors to declare Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations.
Iran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons, said it remained committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
“Negotiations with the IAEA will be held tomorrow to determine a framework for cooperation,” Araghchi said on his Telegram account.
“A Deputy Director General of Grossi will come to Tehran tomorrow, while there are no plans to visit any nuclear sites until we reach a framework.”
Last month, Iran enacted a law passed by parliament suspending cooperation with the IAEA. The law stipulates that any future inspection of Iran’s nuclear sites by the IAEA needs approval by Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council.
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Over 400,000 Reservists Called to IDF as New Operation Expected to Start
Israeli Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara. Photo: Twitter
i24 News – The government is set to approve extending the mobilization, potentially issuing up to 430,000 reserve call-ups by November 30, 2025. This move prepares for a major military operation anticipated to occupy Gaza City, expected to last at least six months according to military forecasts.
Israel’s government legal advisor, Gali Baharav-Miara, affirmed on Sunday that despite significant legal challenges, particularly regarding the unequal burden placed on different populations, there is no alternative but to continue mobilizing reservists.
This decision supports the ongoing expanded military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
In parallel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are preparing a large-scale evacuation of Gaza City’s over 800,000 residents. This process will move civilians to the Mawasi humanitarian zone over the next six weeks, ahead of ground operations expected to begin thereafter.
To support the humanitarian effort, Israel plans to increase aid deliveries significantly. Daily aid truck convoys will increase from 300 to 1,200, with intensified aerial drops and the construction of additional distribution centers.
The mobilization will start next month with the deployment of the 146th and 98th Divisions. Overall, six IDF divisions, including the 162nd, 36th, 98th, Gaza Division, 99th, and 146th, will participate in the operation. The IDF anticipates encircling Gaza City by October 2025.
If hostage negotiations do not yield results, Israeli security officials estimate the occupation could continue for at least half a year, marking a significant escalation in a conflict that has now stretched over 22 months.