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.

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.”

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, May 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/Pool

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has expressed hope that his country would avoid military conflict with US-backed Kurdish forces if efforts to integrate their autonomous administration in northeast Syria into the state structure collapse.

In remarks late on Saturday to senior figures from Idlib, where he has mustered loyalist forces, Sharaa said Kurdish leaders had signaled readiness to move forward with a landmark deal in March to bring their Kurdish-run areas under state authority.

But their actions on the ground suggested otherwise, he told the publicized forum.

“At times on the ground there are signals opposite to what they say in the negotiations,” Sharaa said.

Turkey and Washington, the main powers backing the deal to integrate Syria’s oil-rich northeast into the state, wanted to resolve the issue peacefully, Sharaa said.

“These parties are pushing for a solution peacefully. I hope we don’t enter into a dispute. I am hopeful in a few months we will resolve it,” he said.

The collapse of follow-up talks since the March deal has escalated tensions in the region, triggering fresh clashes this month between government troops and the Kurdish-led, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The SDF, which controls parts of northeast Syria where Arabs form a majority, has recently fortified extensive tunnel networks along the frontlines. Many tribal Arabs accuse the SDF of discriminatory policies – claims Kurdish officials deny.

CONCERN OVER MAJOR ESCALATION

Turkey-backed rebels have also reinforced their positions amid concerns over a potential large-scale escalation in hostilities, officials say.

Ankara has warned of military action against the SDF, which it considers a terrorist organization and has targeted in past cross-border operations. It expects the Syrian government to address its security concerns but says it reserves the right to mount an offensive if needed.

US envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack – an advocate for a strong, unified Syrian state – voiced concern last month over Kurdish delays in implementing the March deal, urging faster progress.

Authorities in Damascus reacted earlier this month angrily to a recent SDF conference calling for greater decentralization and which demanded a review of a constitutional declaration it said discriminated against minorities, a move officials said threatened Syria’s territorial integrity.

Syrian officials said any military push against the SDF would rely on Turkish-backed factions operating in northern Syria, adding that Ankara has grown impatient with what it sees as Kurdish foot-dragging.

Sharaa said those who sought partition were “dreaming” and insisted the country would not give up any stretch of territory. He also criticized Druze groups seeking support from Israel in their confrontation with Damascus.

Thousands joined a large Druze protest in Sweida on Saturday, demanding self-determination, hoisting Israeli flags and praising Israel for a military intervention that forced Syrian forces to retreat after hundreds of people were killed last month.

Sharaa acknowledged that “violations” had been committed by security forces and army personnel in Sweida, but said Druze militias had also perpetrated crimes.