JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
PORT OF IRAN GIGANTIC EXPLOSION.CLAIMES CHEMICALS CAUSED THE EXPLOSION.40 KILLED, 1000+ INJURED.
FEARFUL SIGHTS AND GREAT SIGNS FROM HEAVEN
LUKE 21:11,25-26
11
And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and
pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from
heaven.so was not yet deemed a threat to land.
25 And there shall be
signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON
MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth
distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the
waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for
fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things
which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven
shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and
there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers
places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be
earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles:
these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great
earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME)
and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall
there be from heaven.
REV 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and
there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon
the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green
grass was burnt up.
JAMES 1:11
11 For the sun is no sooner
risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower
thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also
shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
The Hebrew noun
accurately translated “oven” refers to a “baking oven” as distinct from a
kiln or smelting furnace—both of which burn much hotter. (The Hebrew
nouns for “kiln” or for “smelting furnace” are more likely to appear in
contexts of God's wrath or judgment.)
21 They have roused me to
jealousy with a non-god, they have exasperated me with their idols. In
my turn I shall rouse them to jealousy with a non-people, I shall
exasperate them with a stupid nation.
22 Yes, a fire has blazed from
my anger, it will burn right down to the depths of Sheol; it will devour
the earth and all its produce, it will set fire to the footings of the
mountains.
23 I shall hurl disasters on them, on them I shall use up all my arrows.
Ephesians 2:2
2
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air,(LIBERAL GODLESS AIR
WAVES) the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience:(GODLESS)
How Space Exploration Opens Up New Horizons for Global Security and Governance-by Clarence Oxford.
Cleveland
OH (SPX) Apr 27, 2025-There's no questioning the fact that space has
become an increasingly crucial aspect affecting international relations
and the rule of law among nations. Apart from opening up new frontiers
for exploration and discovery, this ever-widening scientific field will
also lead to the development of new laws regulating how countries invest
in research and development, focusing on turning outer space into a
vital sector encompassing commerce and scientific innovation.Considering
how rapidly current technology is advancing, space exploration will go
beyond understanding outer space and shape the future of global
politics, economics, and cultures. Indeed, this will also lay down legal
and political implications as global superpowers see outer space as a
vital source for maintaining strategic advantages over each other.
Conflicts become inevitable as a result, and these can only be mitigated
with the establishment of a legal framework governing all aspects of
space exploration and research.Why Should There Be a Legal Framework for
Space? Ever since mankind made successful missions into outer space,
there have been concerted efforts to regulate activities across this new
frontier. As human activity increases beyond the Earth's atmosphere,
there is a pronounced need to address its effects not just on outer
space, but also on international and domestic laws. In particular, a
legal framework is needed to prevent hostile competition among countries
looking to exploit outer space activities that could also influence
activities on Earth.For instance, as the number of satellites orbiting
the Earth increases over time, regulations are needed to prevent
collisions and address the issue of orbital debris that could also
affect internet connectivity on the ground. These laws may also play a
vital role in regulating future outer space activities, such as mining
asteroids for critical resources and going as far as establishing
colonies on the Moon and Mars. The latter may take some time to be
fulfilled, but the current state of technological progress suggests a
guaranteed future for human expansion beyond Earth.For now, regulating
current activities is considered the top priority among space
exploration experts, physicists, political think tanks, economists, and
international law experts. Currently, more than 70 countries already
have functioning space agencies, on top of private corporations such as
SpaceX undertaking research and working on space-related projects with
government support. Exciting as it might seem, the peak of mankind's
interest in space will also lead to consequences that current treaties
may fall short of addressing.Tackling the Space Race through a Lawyer's
Eyes-The increasing exploitation of outer space for political and
economic ends has caught the attention of legal education institutions
that are now keen on incorporating space law in their curricula. At
Cleveland State University, for instance, there are now ABA-accredited
JD programs focusing on space law, which has become a growing
multidisciplinary field. CSU Professor Mark Sundhal describes it as an
opportunity to review existing international treaties and set standards
for how countries with space programs should behave.As the Director of
CSU's Global Space Law Center, Sundhal sees the emergence of more
complex legal issues covering related areas such as environmental law
and even copyright and patent regulations, especially as private
spacefaring contractors are becoming increasingly involved. More
critical is the need to look at the potential to weaponize outer space,
leading to concerns of building orbital weapons that could herald a new
form of warfare.Law programs focusing on space law serve a critical role
in preventing these scenarios by establishing an international code of
conduct that nations must follow as they expand their presence beyond
the stars.Endnote-Mankind is living in interesting yet dangerous times.
Space exploration has become so advanced that politicians and economists
hardly catch up. However, there is a reason to be hopeful, as a new
breed of law experts aims to bring stability before it is too late.
Israeli
forces take control of nature reserve fire, dozens of hikers
rescued-Magen David Adom announced that there have been no casualties in
Nahal Prat.By JERUSALEM POST STAFF-APRIL 27, 2025 15:53
Israeli
firefighters and IDF search and rescue forces took control of a fire
that broke out on Sunday along a hiking trail in the Nahal Prat Nature
Reserve, east of Jerusalem.Firefighters at the scene in Nahal Prat,
successfully rescued around 30 hikers in the area, with assistance from
the IDF Home Front Command and the 669th Search and Rescue
Battalion.Magen David Adom confirmed that there were no casualties in
Nahal Prat.Topographical issues at the scene made it difficult for
search and rescue operations.Additionally, five fire crews are
successfully extinguished a fire in the vicinity of Ramat Gan's Safari
Park on Sunday afternoon.Recent blaze across Jerusalem-A blaze that
lasted from Wednesday morning until Thursday evening disrupted travel
across the Jerusalem area last week.The fire consumed an estimated
10,000 dunams (2,470 acres) of natural forest, woodland, and open areas.
INVENTION OF THE ATOMIC BOMB.
2 PETER 3:10-11
10
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which
the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements
(NUKES) shall melt with fervent heat,(BLAST) the earth also and the
works that are therein shall be burned up.(BUT ITS NO END OF THE WORLD
HOGWASH)
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,(BY
NUKES INCLUDING 3 BILLION PEOPLE) what manner of persons ought ye to be
in all holy conversation and godliness,
NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.
JESUS
SHED HIS BLOOD FOR US THAT WE CAN BE SAVED FOREVER.AND DURING WW3
PEOPLES BLOOD WILL BE SHED AS A JUDGEMENT FOR HATING HIM AND ISRAEL.GOD
IS NOT MOCKED.
ZEPHANIAH 1:2-3
2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3
I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven,
and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I
will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.
PSALMS 97:3
3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.
EZEKIEL 5:15-17
15
So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an
astonishment unto the (ARAB/MUSLIM) nations that are round about
thee,(ISRAEL) when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in
fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
16 When I
shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their
destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase
the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
17 So will I
send upon you famine and evil beasts,(WHEN RUSSIA/MUSLIMS GET DEFEATED
THIER BODIES GET EATEN BY BIRDS,ANIMALS IN ISRAEL MIGRATION SEASON) and
they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through
thee;(NUKES) and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have
spoken it.
REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out
from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to
him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and
gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully
ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and
gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of
the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the
city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the
horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200
MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)
ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold,
the LORD will come with fire,(NUKES) and with his chariots like a
whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of
fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17
They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens
behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination,
and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I
know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather
all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
ISAIAH 26:21
21
For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants
of the earth for their iniquity:(GOD/ISRAEL HATE AND BRAKING OF HIS
COMMANDMENTS) the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more
cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die - 3 BILLION).
ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8
And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them;
they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed
one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of
the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land
desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For
the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their
light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall
not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for
their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the
arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the
terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13
Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of
her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his
fierce anger.
ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18
And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the
fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of
the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are
open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20
The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed
like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it;
and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass
in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that
are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they
shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and
shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be
visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed,
when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and
before his ancients gloriously.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
JOEL 2:3,30
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12
And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the
people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume
away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and
their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)
and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM
ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD
PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that
day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they
shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand
shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN
WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say
to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the
Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour
every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall
not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be
burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor
their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath;
but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for
he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC
BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be
stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of
hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
REVELATION 8:7
7
The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with
blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees
was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
REVELATION 9:18
18
By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the
fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their
mouths.(ATOMIC BOMBS)(RUSSIA CHINA DESTROYED BY ISRAELS ATOMIC BOMBS)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12
And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river
Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water
thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be
prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of
the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD
DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14
For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth
unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to
the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM
NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17
And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a
great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is
done.
JOEL 3:2 (YOU WANNA DIVIDE JERUSALEM IN HALF (HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION KILLED AS A RESULT)
02-I
will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley
of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my
heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted
my land.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8
And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that
sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given
unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with
sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE
DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18
By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the
fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their
mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE
17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS
KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE
BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND
DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in
that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN
WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4
billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37
And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto
them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered
together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against
Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten
by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE
SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE
CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH
IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe
entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
NAHUM 3:13
13
Behold, your troops are women in your midst. The gates of your land are
wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars.
DR DOCTORION-ANGEL OF THE MIDEAST
"The
angel showed me that the United Nations shall be broken in pieces
because of the crisis in the Middle East. There shall be no more United
Nations. The angel with the sickle shall reap the harvest.
FIRST ANGEL: ASIA
But
the angel said: "Millions will die in China and in India. Nation will
be against nation, brother against brother. Asians will fight each
other. Nuclear weapons shall be used, killing millions."Twice I heard
the words, "Catastrophic! Catastrophic!"Then the angel said, "Financial
crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world."I was trembling while
the angel was speaking.
SECOND ANGEL: MIDDLE EAST
Then I saw that
the second angel had a sickle in his hand, such as is used in
harvesting.The second angel said: "Harvest time has come in Israel and
the countries all the way to Iran."I saw those countries in a few split
seconds."All of Turkey and those [inaudible] countries that have refused
me and refused my message of love shall hate each other and kill one
another."I saw the angel raise the sickle and come down on all the
Middle East countries. I saw Iran, Persia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, all of
Georgia - Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, all of Asia Minor - full
of blood. I saw blood all over these countries. And I saw fire; Nuclear
weapons used in many of those countries. Smoke rising from everywhere.
Sudden destruction – men destroying one another. I heard these
words:"Israel, Oh Israel, the great judgment has come."
Why is
Iran denying military cargo caused deadly port explosion? - analysis-A
blast at Shahid Rajaee Port in Iran killed 28 and injured 800. Officials
deny military cargo involvement and are working to manage the crisis.By
SETH J. FRANTZMAN-APRIL 27, 2025 16:39
A massive explosion at
the Shahid Rajaee Port was not caused by “military-related export or
import cargoes,” an Iranian Defense Ministry official said, according to
Iranian state media. This came as the death toll rose to 28, Iran said
on Sunday, April 27.This is an important incident and Iran’s government
is not seeking to hide or downplay it. Iranian state media has called it
a huge “blast” that killed 28 and left some 750 wounded, with at least
six still missing.Iran says it has only identified 10 victims so far but
is trying get details of the rest. “Following the incident, the
officials of the province have declared three days of public mourning in
the province. Addressing the Hormozgan crisis management meeting,
Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said all necessary measures had been
taken, and President Masoud Pezeshkian had issued order in this regard,
Iranian state media reported.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is
closely following events and has been in touch with local officials.
Iranian state media says this is to mobilize “all resources to assist
the injured.” The goal here is that the large explosion will not lead to
wider protests or to concern about the failures within the Iranian
regime.Of particular interest is the report from the Iranian Defense
Minister that “there were no military-related export or import cargoes
at Shahid Rajaee Port, where a massive blast has left at least 28 people
dead.” A spokesperson for the ministry Brig.-Gen. Reza Talaei-Nik said
on Sunday that the rumors about the explosion being caused by
defense-related cargo were wrong. He called this “targeted
misinformation and propaganda” spread by foreign media.Hundreds of
people remain in hospitals-Iran is clearly concerned. Some have said the
explosion reminds them of the explosion in the port of Beirut in 2020.
In that case, it was never entirely clear who was at fault or if the
ammonium nitrate that was stored improperly was linked to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah is backed by Iran. Iran believes that the port explosion could
be used to undermine the regime.“Based on investigations and documented
evidence, there were and are no import or export shipments related to
fuel or military use in the area affected by the fire at the port,”
Talaei-Nik said. He said that Iran will soon determine the “primary and
secondary causes of the fire.”Pezeshkian is seeking to show leadership.
Along with his Interior Minister, he is attempting to project stability
and strength. This is important because Iran is in the midst of talks
with the United States about its nuclear program. Yet, if the country
can’t secure its ports, how can it secure its nuclear facilities-Fatemeh
Mohajerani, the spokesperson for the Iranian administration, “said that
the situation is under control, with a significant portion of the fire
contained. According to the spokesperson, firefighters are working to
extinguish the remaining 20% of the fire,” IRNA reported in
Iran.Mohajerani said that 1,139 people had been treated at healthcare
centers. Iran’s Health and Medical Education Mohammad-Reza Zafarghandi
said that resources had been mobilized. At least 300 people remain in
hospitals in Iran due to the blast, according to Pir-Hossein Kolivand,
the head of the Iranian branch of the Red Crescent Society.“Kolivand
also said that search and rescue operations are ongoing at Shahid Rajaee
Port, with some injured patients being sent to Tehran for treatment.
The extinguishing operation continues, but the overall situation is
under control,” IRNA noted.Iran says that the Shahid Rajaee Port is
Iran’s biggest container hub, handling almost 80% of the country’s
container activities. “The strategic port can accommodate Panamax cargo
ships with a capacity of more than 12,000 TEU. The port’s capacity is
envisaged to increase to 8 million TEU when the construction operations
are complete.”This kind of messaging from state media shows Iran is
seeking to portray itself as being transparent about this explosion.The
fact that it is seeking to portray itself as transparent doesn’t mean it
is being transparent. However, it is attempting to indicate that it is
treating this matter with the utmost concern rather than resorting to
obfuscation.
Explosion rocks Iran's Bandar Abbas port near IRGC
base, 40 killed, over 1,000 wounded-The explosion reportedly occurred
near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval base, Army Radio
reported.By DANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD, MAYA GUR ARIEH, REUTERS-Updated:
APRIL 27, 2025 18:37
DUBAI – The death toll from a powerful
explosion at Iran’s biggest port, Bandar Abbas, has risen to at least
40, with more than 700 people injured, state media reported on Sunday,
as firefighters worked to fully extinguish the fire.Saturday’s blast
took place in the Shahid Rajaee section of the port, Iran’s biggest
container hub, shattering windows for several kilometers around, tearing
metal strips off shipping containers and badly damaging goods inside,
state media said.The incident occurred as Iran held a third round of
nuclear talks with the United States in Oman.Chemicals at the port were
suspected to have fueled the explosion, but the exact cause was not
clear and Iran’s Defense Ministry denied international media reports
that the blast may be linked to the mishandling of solid fuel used for
missiles.A spokesperson for the ministry told state TV the reports were
“aligned with enemy psy-ops [psychological operations],” saying that the
blast-hit area did not contain any military cargo.The Associated Press
cited British security firm Ambrey as saying the port received sodium
perchlorate in March, which is used to propel ballistic missiles and
whose mishandling could have led to the explosion.The UK Financial Times
newspaper reported in January the shipment of two Iranian vessels from
China containing enough of the ingredient to propel as many as 260
mid-range missiles, helping Tehran replenish its stocks following its
direct missile attacks on its arch-foe Israel in 2024.Plumes of black
smoke rose above the site on Sunday, and pieces of twisted metal and
debris lay scattered across the blast area.By early afternoon, the head
of Iran’s Red Crescent Society told state media the fire was 90%
extinguished, and officials said port activities had resumed in
unaffected parts of Shahid Rajaee.Iran’s crisis management organization
said that of the 752 people who had received treatment for their
injuries, 190 were still being treated in medical centers early on
Sunday.A spokesperson for the country’s crisis management organization
appeared on Saturday to blame the explosion on poor storage of chemicals
in containers at Shahid Rajaee, adding that earlier warnings had
highlighted potential safety risks.Government spokesperson Fatemeh
Mohajerani cautioned against “premature speculation,” saying final
assessments would be shared after the investigation.Negligence has often
been blamed in a series of deadly incidents that have hit Iranian
energy and industrial infrastructure in recent years.These have included
refinery fires, a gas explosion at a coal mine, and an emergency repair
incident at Bandar Abbas that killed one worker in 2023.Conflict
between Tehran and IsraelIran has blamed some other incidents on Israel,
which has carried out attacks on Iranian soil targeting Iran’s nuclear
program in recent years and last year bombed the country’s air
defenses.The Iranian government declared that Monday would be a day of
mourning for those affected by the port explosion in Bandar Abbas.
Iranian government spokesperson Fatima Mohajerani wrote on X/Twitter on
Sunday.
Explosion at Iranian port severely impacts regime, Iran
expert says-"This location and port are extremely critical to the
survival of the Iranian regime," expert Sabti emphasized.By MAYA
COHEN-APRIL 27, 2025 09:18
The mass explosion at the Shahid
Rajaee port in the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas, which took
place on Saturday, has significantly impacted the Iranian regime,
according to Beni Sabti, an expert in the Iran program at the Institute
for National Security Studies (INSS).“The port that blew up in the
southern Iranian city was the most important port for the Iranian
regime,” Sabti told Maariv on Sunday.He said the reason for the port’s
importance was “not only because it was the largest port in Iran, but
because the hub was used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to
transfer weapons to terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and the
Houthis.”It was also used “to illegally transfer oil to China,” Sabti
added.“Various tankers operated there, disappearing and reappearing,
essentially collecting oil from the port or bringing in goods that Iran
needs,” he said. “This location and this port were extremely critical to
the survival of the Iranian regime.”Sabti was hesitant about
determining what the cause of the explosion was.“It is still very early
to know whether it was an accident or deliberate sabotage,” he said.
“Personally, I find it hard to believe it was sabotage, especially at
this time, given the ongoing talks between Iran and the United
States.”Response to claims that the explosion was attributed to Israel
Sabti addressed the claims that the explosion was attributed to Israel,
saying, “It is common for some Iranian regime-affiliated figures to
blame Israel. The regime is officially refraining from doing so –
possibly because it is not in their interest to do so at this
time.”Sabti also remarked on the magnitude of the explosion, calling the
damage “very severe.”“The situation there is very, very difficult.
There are fatalities and hundreds of injured people at the scene. Some
are comparing this explosion to the one that occurred in Lebanon a few
years ago, which destroyed everything,” Sabti said.“Of course,” he
added, “it’s not on the same scale, but it’s still a very large
explosion.”Sabti said that the consequences of the explosion could be
particularly serious if critical infrastructure were damaged.The
potential damage of the explosion “The section that exploded was
extremely vital to the Iranian regime’s survival,” Sabti said, stressing
that “if infrastructure important to the IRGC’s oil transfer operations
or the reception of vital goods was damaged, this could have a
significant impact.”“There are rumors right now that Iran may have been
storing missile fuel [at the port], possibly imported from China,” he
said.However, Sabti said, “As of now, this is just a rumor.”“The
information is still unclear, and we need to wait for confirmation. The
Iranian regime may conceal the truth,” Sabti continued.“In any case,
there was damage that could prove significant to the Iranian regime’s
economy, especially affecting the IRGC and the weapons they transfer or
receive,” Sabti said.
Fire blazes day after Iran port blast killed 28, injured 1,000.
Tehran,
April 27 (AFP) Apr 27, 2025-Fire blazed on Sunday, more than 24 hours
after a massive explosion tore through Iran's largest commercial port,
killing at least 28 people and leaving more than 1,000 others injured,
according to the Red Crescent.The blast occurred Saturday at Shahid
Rajaee Port in southern Iran, near the Strait of Hormuz through which a
fifth of world oil output passes.With choking smoke and air pollution
spreading throughout the area, all schools and offices in Bandar Abbas,
the capital of Hormozgan province around 23 kilometres (14 miles) east,
were ordered closed on Sunday to allow authorities to focus on the
emergency effort, state TV said.The health ministry urged residents to
avoid going outside "until further notice" and to use protective
masks.Russia's embassy said Moscow was sending "several aircraft
carrying specialists" to help fight the blaze, "at the request of
Iranian partners".The New York Times quoted a person with ties to Iran's
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, speaking on condition of anonymity
to discuss security matters, as saying that what exploded was sodium
perchlorate -- a major ingredient in solid fuel for missiles.Defence
ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik told state TV that "there has been no
imported or exported cargo for military fuel or military use in the
area."The port's customs office said in a statement carried by state
television that the explosion probably resulted from a fire that broke
out at the hazardous and chemical materials storage depot.A regional
emergency official said several containers had exploded.Red Crescent
chief Pirhossein Koolivand, in a video shared on the government's
official website, gave on Sunday an updated toll of 28 people killed and
more than 1,000 injured.- Area sealed off -Some of the injured were
transferred for treatment in the capital Tehran -- more than 1,000
kilometres north -- Koolivand said.Thick black smoke was visible in live
footage from the scene aired by state TV on Sunday."The fire is under
control but still not out," a state TV correspondent reported from the
scene on Sunday.The explosion was felt and heard about 50 kilometres
away, Fars news agency reported.Speaking Sunday at the scene, Interior
Minister Eskandar Momeni said "the situation has stabilised in the main
areas" of the port. He told state TV that workers had resumed loading
containers and customs clearance.Images from Iran's Tasnim news agency
on Sunday showed a helicopter flying through a sky blackened by smoke to
drop water on the disaster scene.Other Tasnim images showed
firefighters working among toppled and blackened cargo containers, and
carrying out the body of a victim.The authorities have closed off the
roads leading to the site of the explosion, and footage from the area
has been limited to Iranian media outlets.- Mourning -Three Chinese
nationals were "lightly injured" in the disaster, China's state
broadcaster CCTV reported, citing its Bandar Abbas consulate.Iranian
President Masoud Pezeshkian, who on Sunday was heading to the port blast
area according to state TV, earlier said he had "issued an order to
investigate the situation and the causes".The United Arab Emirates
expressed "solidarity with Iran" over the explosion and Saudi Arabia
sent condolences, as did Pakistan, India, Turkey and the United Nations
as well as Russia.Authorities declared three days of public mourning
across Hormozgan province.The explosion came as Iranian and US
delegations met in Oman for high-level talks on Tehran's nuclear
programme, with both sides reporting progress.While Iranian authorities
so far appear to be treating the blast as an accident, it also comes
against the backdrop of years of shadow war with regional foe
Israel.According to the Washington Post, Israel in 2020 launched a
cyberattack targeting the Shahid Rajaee Port.pdm/rjm/ami/it
Major blast at Iran port kills 4, injures hundreds.
Tehran,
April 26 (AFP) Apr 26, 2025-A powerful explosion ripped through a key
port in southern Iran on Saturday, killing four people and injuring more
than 500, state media said.Although the cause of the blast was not
immediately clear, the port's customs office said in a statement carried
by state TV that it probably resulted from a fire that broke out at the
hazmat and chemical materials storage depot.State media reported a
"massive explosion" at Shahid Rajaee, the country's largest commercial
port, located in Hormozgan province on the southern coast.Footage on
state TV showed thick columns of black smoke billowing from the port
where many containers are stored, with helicopters deployed to fight the
flames.Citing local emergency services, state TV reported that at least
516 people were injured and "hundreds have been transferred to nearby
medical centres"."Unfortunately, at least four deaths have been
confirmed by rescuers," the head of the Red Crescent Society's Relief
and Rescue Organisation, Babak Mahmoudi, later told the
broadcaster.Three Chinese nationals were "lightly injured", China's
state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing its Bandar Abbas
consulate.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed sympathy for the
victims of the deadly blast, adding he had "issued an order to
investigate the situation and the causes", sending Interior Minister
Eskandar Momeni to look into the incident.Images from the official IRNA
news agency showed rescuers and survivors walking along a wide boulevard
carpeted with debris.Flames engulfed a truck trailer and blood stained
the side of a crushed car.Containers stacked at the port appeared to
have buckled in the blast.Shahid Rajaee, more than 1,000 kilometres (620
miles) south of Tehran, is Iran's most advanced container port,
according to IRNA.It is located 23 kilometres west of Bandar Abbas, the
Hormozgan provincial capital, and near the Strait of Hormuz, through
which a fifth of world oil output passes.- Containers exploded -Mehrdad
Hassanzadeh, head of the province's crisis management authority, told
state TV that "the cause of this incident was the explosion of several
containers stored in the Shahid Rajaee Port wharf area"."We are
currently evacuating and transporting the injured to nearby medical
centres," he said.The explosion was so powerful that it was felt and
heard about 50 kilometres away, Fars news agency reported, with
residents saying they could feel the ground shake even at a
distance."The shockwave was so strong that most of the port buildings
were severely damaged," Tasnim news agency reported.The state-owned
National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company said in a statement
carried by local media that "the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port has no
connection to refineries, fuel tanks, distribution complexes or oil
pipelines".It added that "Bandar Abbas oil facilities are currently
operating without interruption".The rare explosion comes several months
after one of Iran's deadliest work accidents in years.The coal mine
blast in September, caused by a gas leak, killed more than 50 people at
Tabas in the east of the country.Saturday's explosion also came as
Iranian and US delegations met in Oman for high-level talks on Tehran's
nuclear programme.
Cosmic malfunction? Russian satellite linked
to nuclear space weapons out of control - report-The satellite is
believed to serve as both a radar tool for intelligence gathering and a
platform for radiation testing.By REUTERS-APRIL 25, 2025 21:55
A
Russian satellite believed to be part of Moscow’s nuclear anti-satellite
weapon program appears to be malfunctioning, with erratic movements
suggesting it may no longer be operational. The development could be a
major blow to Russia’s military space ambitions, US analysts said.Cosmos
2553 was launched just weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Over the past year, it has shown signs of uncontrolled tumbling,
according to radar data from LeoLabs and optical tracking shared by
Slingshot Aerospace with Reuters.The satellite is believed to serve as
both a radar tool for intelligence gathering and a platform for
radiation testing. While Cosmos 2553 is not considered a weapon itself,
US officials say it plays a key role in testing technologies for a
potential nuclear weapon designed to disable or destroy entire satellite
constellations — such as the Starlink system that has been instrumental
for Ukrainian forces.Russia denies any intention to develop such
weapons and claims the satellite’s mission is purely scientific.A
strategic setback in space-If Cosmos 2553 has indeed failed, the
malfunction would represent a setback in Russia’s efforts to militarize
space. A storied space power since launching the first human into orbit
in 1961, Russia has shifted focus in recent years toward space security
as tensions rise with the United States and China.The satellite was
deployed into a high-radiation orbit approximately 2,000 kilometers
above Earth — a zone typically avoided by communication and
Earth-observing satellites due to the extreme radiation
environment.LeoLabs first detected anomalies in November using Doppler
radar data collected from its global network. By December, the company
had upgraded its analysis to “high confidence” that the satellite was
tumbling, based on new radar inputs and additional satellite
imagery.Russia’s Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for
comment.“This observation strongly suggests the satellite is no longer
operational,” said the Center for Strategic and International Studies in
its latest Space Threat Assessment.Signs of instability followed by
possible stabilization-US Space Command, which monitors space objects
and has previously criticized Russian military behavior in orbit,
confirmed awareness of a shift in Cosmos 2553’s altitude. It declined,
however, to provide further analysis of the satellite’s current
condition.Slingshot Aerospace, which has tracked the spacecraft since
its February 5, 2022, launch, observed irregular behavior in May 2024.
“The object’s brightness became variable, indicating a potential
tumble,” a company spokesperson said.More recent observations suggest
that the satellite may have stabilized, according to Slingshot’s chief
science officer, Belinda Marchand. It remains unclear, however, whether
the satellite is still functional or has been compromised.Rising risks
of miscalculation in orbit-With the number of civil and military
satellites in space growing rapidly, commercial space-tracking services
like LeoLabs and Slingshot have become increasingly important for
national defense agencies seeking to avoid misinterpretations that could
lead to escalation.The US Defense Department has prioritized enhanced
orbital awareness to better understand whether spacecraft belong to
civilian, commercial or military systems.According to a US Space Command
spokesperson, Russia has claimed that Cosmos 2553’s mission is to test
instruments in a high-radiation environment — but its behavior and
characteristics do not match that profile.“This inconsistency, paired
with a demonstrated willingness to target US and allied on-orbit
objects, increases the risk of misperception and escalation,” the
spokesperson said.A crowded and contested military frontier-Cosmos 2553
is one of several satellites operated by Russia that US officials
believe are tied to military and intelligence programs. Moscow views
Starlink — a vast satellite network operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX — as a
legitimate military target due to its battlefield use in
Ukraine.Russia, the US and China are all pouring billions of dollars
into secretive space technologies that could be used for military or
dual-use purposes. These developments have raised concern over possible
misunderstandings and the legal gray zones surrounding conflict in
space.Washington has increasingly acknowledged space as a military
domain in recent years, while outsourcing much of its development and
operation to private firms like SpaceX.Mallory Stewart, who served as US
assistant secretary of state for arms control and deterrence under
President Joe Biden, said in 2023 that Russia was “considering the
incorporation of nuclear weapons into its counterspace programs.”Three
US officials told Reuters that the launch of Cosmos 2553 was a key
moment in escalating Washington’s concerns about Russia’s nuclear space
intentions — and remains a central piece of ongoing US intelligence
assessments.
Putin mobilizes Russian aid after deadly blast at
Iran's Bandar Abbas port-Several other similarly aligned nations offered
support, including Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait.By JERUSALEM POST
STAFF-APRIL 27, 2025 11:43
Russian President Vladimir Putin has
ordered several emergency planes to be sent to Iran to help extinguish a
fire in the port of Bandar Abbas, Russian state-run news agency TASS
reported on Sunday.Iranian state media have reported that a huge blast
probably caused by the explosion of chemical materials killed at least
25 people and injured more than 700 on Saturday at Bandar Abbas, Iran's
biggest port.In an official letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, Putin sent his "deepest
condolences regarding the loss of human life and the extensive
destruction."The embassy added that it wished those injured a quick
recovery. Arab nations, Cuba send condolances-Iranian state media
reported that a huge blast, probably caused by the explosion of chemical
materials, killed at least 18 people and injured more than 700 on
Saturday at Bandar Abbas, Iran's biggest port.Iraq also pledged support
to Iran, a statement from the Iraqi government read."The Republic of
Iraq extends its condolences to the government and people of Iran and
expresses its support for them during these painful moments," the
release said. "Iraq once again emphasizes the need to strengthen
regional and international cooperation to confront urgent challenges and
declares its readiness to provide any possible support to mitigate the
effects of this disaster."Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain all released similar
statements of condolence, but did not offer support, Iran’s
semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported.Several Cuban dignitaries
extended their condolences to the Islamic Republic, but did not offer
support. "We lament the massive explosion that occurred in Shahid Rajaei
in southern Iran," Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz wrote in a
statement on X/Twitter. "From Cuba, we send our deepest condolences to
the people and government, as well as to the families and friends of the
victims.""We have received notice of the massive explosion that
occurred in the Iranian port of Shahid Rajaei," Cuban President Miguel
DÃaz-Canel Bermúdez wrote on X/Twitter. "We extend our condolences to
President Pezeshkian, the people and government of Iran, as well as the
families of those killed and injured in the disaster."The Chinese
Embassy in Iran and the Consulate General in Bandar Abbas asked citizens
to avoid dangerous areas and contact the embassy for assistance.
Chinese state media reported that three nationals were harmed in the
blasts and are being treated in a hospital near the port. Reuters
contributed to this report.
Israel's Netanyahu calls for 'dismantling' Iran's nuclear infrastructure.
Jerusalem,
April 27 (AFP) Apr 27, 2025-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
called Sunday for the complete dismantling of Iran's nuclear programme,
insisting that any deal with Tehran must also address its ballistic
missile capabilities."You have to dismantle their nuclear infrastructure
and that means ... they will not have the capacity to enrich uranium,"
he said in a speech in Jerusalem, adding that any deal should also
"bring in the prevention of ballistic missiles"."The real deal that
works is the deal which removes Iran's capacity to enrich uranium for
nuclear weapons," the Israeli premier said."Iran will not have nuclear
weapons," he added.Western governments have long suspected Iran of
pursuing a nuclear weapons capability, an ambition Tehran has
consistently denied, insisting its programme is for peaceful purposes
only.Iran and the United States, which have been foes since the Islamic
revolution of 1979, held a third round of nuclear talks mediated by Oman
on Saturday.Both Tehran and Washington reported progress in the talks,
with a US official calling them "positive and productive" while Iranian
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said work would take place to "reduce
the differences" between the sides ahead of another round of talks next
week.A 2015 accord between Iran and major powers that limited its
nuclear activities in return for easing international sanctions
effectively collapsed after US President Donald Trump abandoned it three
years later.Since returning to the White House, Trump has called on
Iran to negotiate a new deal while threatening to take military action
if it does not.
Israel says interecepts missile fired by Yemen's Huthis-by AFP Staff Writers.
Jerusalem
(AFP) April 27, 2025-The Israeli military said Sunday it intercepted a
missile fired from Yemen, where the Huthi rebels claimed responsibility
for the launch, saying it targeted an air base in southern Israel."The
missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted... prior to
crossing into Israeli territory," a military statement said.Yemen's
Iran-backed Huthi rebels said they had launched a "hypersonic missile"
at the Nevatim air base in Israel's Negev desert.The Huthis, part of
Iran's "axis of resistance" against Israel and the United States,
portray themselves as defenders of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip amid
the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.They have regularly launched missiles and
drones at Israel and at vessels plying the key Red Sea trade route,
prompting waves of attacks by Israel and the United States on Huthi
targets.Since US President Donald Trump took office in January, those
attacks have intensified, with almost daily strikes for the past
month.According to Israel's army radio, the Huthis have fired more than
20 missiles at Israel since they resumed their attacks when Israel
renewed its Gaza offensive on March 18 after a two-month ceasefire.
IDF
targets high-quality Hezbollah weapons in Beirut building, US aware in
advance-The strike in Lebanon was a risky move that would only be taken
due to a much more dangerous and unusual threat, defense sources
indicated.By YONAH JEREMY BOB, AMICHAI STEIN, JERUSALEM POST STAFF-APRIL
27, 2025 17:10
The IDF struck Hezbollah infrastructure in the
terror organization’s stronghold of Dahiyeh in southern Beirut, as the
materials posed a significant threat to Israel, Defense Minister Israel
Katz’s office confirmed on Sunday.“Israel will not allow Hezbollah to
build up its capabilities and pose any threat anywhere in Lebanon,” the
ministry said. “The Lebanese government bears direct responsibility for
preventing these threats.”It also said Israel will insist on achieving
its war objective of safely returning the residents of the North to
their homes.A source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post
that the Trump administration was briefed before the attack occurred and
“everything was coordinated.”This was the first IDF attack in Lebanon
and Hezbollah’s stronghold since two strikes in late March and early
April, which had been the first strikes in Beirut since the November 27,
2024, ceasefire between the parties.Israel had said the attacks around a
month ago came in response to rocket fire from Lebanon, even though it
was perpetrated by a Palestinian terror group and not by
Hezbollah.Following those attacks, Hezbollah threatened to reignite a
larger war between the sides, should Israel continue to strike in
Beirut.Accordingly, the air force strike on Sunday was a risky move and
would only have been made due to a much more dangerous and unusual
threat, defense sources indicated.The attack followed an “urgent and
important warning to residents of southern suburbs of Beirut,” issued by
IDF Arabic Spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee earlier.Adraee added that
those residing in a certain building located in the Dahiyeh
neighborhood, as well as adjacent buildings, needed to evacuate and move
at least 300 meters away for their own safety.The building is part of
Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure, the military said.Saudi news
outlet Al Hadath said the building was a warehouse, not a
residence.Residents reported hearing gunfire across the area, which they
said they believed was intended to warn people to leave, as well as
seeing massive traffic jams on roads leading from the area.Earlier on
Sunday, the IDF conducted an airstrike and killed a Hezbollah terrorist
in the area of Halta in southern Lebanon, the military confirmed.The
terrorist was allegedly attempting to rebuild Hezbollah’s presence in
the area, the military noted.Lebanese PM calls on US, France to compel
Israel to stop attacks Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the
United States and France, as guarantors of the ceasefire agreement
struck in November, to compel Israel to stop its attacks."Israel's
continued actions in undermining stability will exacerbate tensions and
place the region at real risk, threatening its security and stability,"
he said in a statement.
Israel bars French lawmakers over
planned Palestinian state recognition-Tensions between Israel and France
escalate after visas for 27 French MPs are revoked. Jerusalem warns of a
diplomatic clash in June.By JERUSALEM POST STAFF-APRIL 27, 2025 22:12
Israel's
refusal to allow entry to a French parliamentary delegation continues
to reverberate. Still, officials in Jerusalem emphasize that the move
was a necessary measure to set a clear boundary amid deteriorating
political relations between the two countries.The delegation, comprising
27 members of the French Parliament—many from left-wing parties—had
been invited to visit Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories by the
French consulate in the city.According to the original itinerary, the
delegation was expected to meet with senior Palestinian Authority
officials and even visit security prisoners, including Marwan
Barghouti.The Interior Ministry announced the cancellation of the visas,
even after they had initially been approved, citing a 2017 law that
allows Israel to deny entry to individuals supporting boycott activities
against the state."These are not innocent tourists," officials
explained to Maariv. "This is a delegation with a clear political agenda
against Israel. In a sovereign country, it is a legitimate right to
refuse such entry."'This may only be the beginning of a larger crisis'In
France, the move was met with public outrage. Delegation members
condemned the decision as a "serious blow to diplomatic ties and the
freedom of action of elected officials in a democratic country." Some
called on President Emmanuel Macron to personally intervene and pressure
Israel to reverse the decision.Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem warn
that this may only be the beginning of a larger crisis. President Macron
recently announced his intention to explore recognizing a Palestinian
state at an international conference in New York scheduled for June.The
Prime Minister’s Office has already issued a stark warning: "This would
be a reward for terrorism, not a step toward peace."Political analysts
predict a broader confrontation between the two nations is imminent.
Itai Cellier, a commentator on French affairs and operator of the
YouTube channel "The Frenchman," noted that the French consulate in
Jerusalem—which operates independently of the French embassy in Tel
Aviv—maintains direct ties with the Palestinian Authority and sometimes
acts counter to Israel's interests.According to Cellier, this is not an
isolated incident: "There is a clear trend of the French government
promoting a unilateral political move, accompanied by ongoing
international campaigns against Israel," he said.Meanwhile, criticism
against France has intensified on social media, accusing it of
hypocrisy: while lecturing Israel on national rights, France continues
to control 13 overseas territories.The backlash grew after President
Macron visited Madagascar, a former French colony where a brutal 1947
uprising was crushed at the cost of tens of thousands of civilian
lives.Many in Madagascar argue that France has yet to fully acknowledge
its responsibility for these events.For now, the French delegation
members plan to hold a press conference in Paris, continuing to demand
the renewal of their visit. Israeli officials are assessing the
diplomatic ramifications, particularly the potential fallout of a formal
French recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Iran's defence, missiles not part of US nuclear talks says foreign office-by AFP Staff Writers.
Muscat,
Oman (AFP) April 26, 2025-Iran's defence and missile programmes are not
being discussed during nuclear negotiations with the United States in
Oman, Tehran's foreign ministry spokesperson told state TV on
Saturday."The question of defence capacities and the country's missiles
is not (on the agenda) and has not been raised in the indirect talks
with the United States," Esmaeil Baqaei said.
Syria's Sharaa
rejects Kurdish demands for decentralization-Syria's Islamist leaders
opposed Kurdish calls for decentralization, while Kurdish parties
endorsed a vision for a democratic, decentralized Syria.By REUTERS,
JERUSALEM POST STAFF-APRIL 27, 2025 21:43
Syria's Islamist
leaders said on Sunday that Kurdish demands for the country to adopt a
decentralized system of government in a post-Assad political order posed
a threat to national unity."We clearly reject any attempt to impose a
partition or create separatist cantons under the terms of federalism or
self-autonomy without a national consensus," Syria's interim President
Ahmed al-Sharaa's office said in a statement."The unity of Syrian
territory and its people is a red line," the statement said.Kurdish
political parties came together in eastern Syria on Saturday in a
historic meeting that represents a major shift for the region.Rival
Syrian Kurdish parties, including the dominant faction in the
Kurdish-run northeast, agreed at the meeting in Syria's
Kurdish-controlled city of Qamishli on a common political vision for
Syria's Kurdish minority.The Kurdish media outlet Ruday said, “Kurdish
political groups in Syria have agreed on a joint vision for a
decentralized, democratic state that guarantees Kurdish rights and calls
for a national dialogue to reshape the country’s future, according to
the final statement issued by a conference held on Saturday in northeast
Syria (Rojava).” Rojava is the name of the Kurdish region in eastern
Syria where Kurds live.How everything started-When the Syrian civil war
began, the Kurdish regions of eastern Syria were mostly abandoned by the
Syrian government. Kurds were historically oppressed in Syria. However,
they were not seen as a threat to Damascus.In eastern Syria, there was a
lack of unity, and this was exacerbated by the war years and the
decision by the rulers to essentially exclude Kurds from groups that
were centrist, right-leaning, or more conservative. After the Assad
regime fell, they eventually reached out to Ahmed al-Sharaa and the new
government.
US-made parts found in North Korean missile that Russia fired on Kyiv: Zelensky.
Kyiv,
Ukraine (AFP) April 25, 2025 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
said that a missile fired by Russia on Kyiv on Thursday was supplied by
North Korea and had dozens of components from US firms."The missile that
killed civilians in Kyiv contained at least 116 components sourced from
other countries -- and most of them, unfortunately, were manufactured
by American companies," Zelensky said Friday on X, urging for more
"pressure" and sanctions to be put on both Moscow and Pyongyang.
No
current prospect for reaching hostage deal, Israeli official tells
'Post'"If the positions of Israel and Hamas remain as they are now, then
the gaps are unbridgeable for reaching an agreement," the official
stated.By AMICHAI STEIN-APRIL 27, 2025 20:39
Following Mossad
Director David Barnea’s visit to Qatar, an Israeli official told The
Jerusalem Post that, at present – with emphasis on at present – he sees
no chance of bridging the gaps between Israel and Hamas to reach a
hostage deal.“If the positions of Israel and Hamas remain as they are
now, then the gaps are unbridgeable for reaching an agreement,” the
official stated.Hamas is insisting that any deal must include a complete
cessation of the war – with guarantees.“From Hamas’s perspective, there
is no such thing as a temporary ceasefire,” said a source familiar with
the details of the negotiations.Israel’s position is that it will not
agree to end the war unless Hamas is removed from both military and
civil governance in Gaza, and the Strip is fully demilitarized.The
Israeli official speaking to the Post added, “It’s not that there’s no
chance for a change – reality could shift things, and that’s even likely
– but right now the gaps are extremely wide.”Qatar's PM comments on
Hamas's position-On Sunday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin
Abdulrahman Al Thani stated, “Hamas is willing to release all the
hostages in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners, but under
conditions that Israel is unlikely to accept.”He also criticized Israel,
saying it is focused on the hostages without presenting a clear vision
for ending the war.“In this situation, the chances of a deal are low,
but we’re trying to find broader common ground between the two sides,”
the Qatari prime minister said in Doha, standing alongside Turkish
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who later met with senior Hamas officials
based in Qatar.Meanwhile, Arabic media reported that Hamas is prepared
to release all the hostages in exchange for a five-year ceasefire with
international guarantees.An Israeli official told the Post, “This is a
recycled proposal that was brought up in the past – but at this time, we
have not received any new offer.”
North Korea launches new destroyer.
Seoul
(AFP) April 26, 2025 - North Korea has unveiled a new warship it claims
is a destroyer armed with the "most powerful weapons", at a launch
ceremony attended by leader Kim Jong Un, state media said Saturday.The
announcement comes about a month after Kim oversaw the test of new
suicide and reconnaissance drones featuring AI technology, adding to
concerns over North Korea's deepening military cooperation with
Moscow.The warship, named "Choe Hyon" after a deceased North Korean
anti-Japanese fighter, is a 5,000-ton destroyer-class vessel that took
more than a year to build, according to Pyongyang's official Korean
Central News Agency.Given its size, experts believe the ship can carry
both ship-to-surface and ship-to-air missiles, with specialist outlet NK
News reporting it is "likely to be equipped with short-range tactical
nuclear missiles".The North Korean navy can now serve as a "core service
for national defence and a component of nuclear war deterrent", Kim
said, according to KCNA, adding that the ship will "enter into operation
early next year".He also accused Washington of "conducting aggressive
exercises that simulate nuclear strikes against" the North through its
joint-military operations with the South.At the launch ceremony, held at
the Nampho Dockyard on the country's west coast Friday, the warship
"received the honour of being first reviewed" by Kim, it added.- Nuclear
weapons state -Images released by state media showed Kim, accompanied
by his daughter Ju Ae, being enthusiastically welcomed by navy personnel
in white uniforms in front of the new warship, with colourful confetti
scattered across the ground.Ju Ae, who is considered by many experts as
Kim's likely successor, was also photographed whispering to her father
dressed in a formal black suit in front of the vessel.Kim inspected a
project in March to build a nuclear-powered submarine, asserting that
"radically" boosting the navy was a key part of Pyongyang's defensive
strategy.At the time, Kim called for the modernisation of the country's
surface and underwater naval forces, including the development of
warships.Washington -- Seoul's key security ally -- has in recent years
ramped up joint military exercises and increased the presence of
strategic US assets, such as an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered
submarine, around the Korean Peninsula to deter the North.Pyongyang has
repeatedly declared itself an "irreversible" nuclear weapons state and
routinely denounces joint US-South Korea drills as rehearsals for
invasion.US President Donald Trump, who met Kim three times during his
first administration, said this month that he is in "communication" with
Kim and intends to "do something at some point", according to Seoul's
Yonhap news agency.A summit between the two in Hanoi collapsed in 2019
over talks on sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to
give up in return.The launch of the vessel appears to "contain the
intention to reiterate the position that nuclear abandonment is not
possible for Kim", Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North
Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP.Kim also appears to be "presenting
preconditions for possible future North Korea-US negotiations," Yang
added.
Philippines, US test air defences as China seizes reef-By Ted ALJIBE, Faith BROWN.
Philippines
(AFP) April 27, 2025-Missiles fired off the coast of the northern
Philippines Sunday as US and Filipino forces conducted their first
integrated defence drills, hours after China said it had seized control
of a reef claimed by Manila.The Philippines and China have been engaged
in months of confrontations over the South China Sea, which Beijing
claims nearly in its entirety despite an international ruling that its
assertion has no legal basis.As many as 17,000 personnel are
participating in the annual "Balikatan" exercises, which this year will
simulate a "full-scale battle scenario" as the treaty allies seek to
deter China's ambitions in the disputed waterway.Chinese state
broadcaster CCTV on Saturday reported that the country's coast guard had
"implemented maritime control" over Tiexian Reef, also known as Sandy
Cay, this month.The tiny sandbank, part of the Spratly Islands, lies
near Thitu Island, also called Pag-asa and site of a Philippine military
facility.The Philippine government has yet to formally respond to the
claim.In coastal Zambales province, hours north of the capital Manila,
AFP journalists watched Sunday as the US Marine Corp's new MADIS
short-range air defence system knocked a pair of drones from the sky.The
coastal defence exercise saw MADIS work in concert with the
Philippines' SPYDER missile system, defending it from drone attack as it
targeted simulated incoming cruise missiles."MADIS is short-range.
SPYDER is more of a medium-range capability (and they) both engaged
different threats," said Matthew Sladek, commander of the US 3rd
Littoral Anti-Air Battalion."The more we work together, that only ...
enhances our collective lethality."- Blow to regional stability -Chinese
warships have been spotted in waters near the Philippines since the
Balikatan exercises kicked off last week.The aircraft carrier Shandong
on April 22 "was detected underway 2.23 nautical miles (about four
kilometres) southwest" of the Philippines' far northern Babuyan Island,
the navy reported.On Sunday, the Philippine Navy said three other
vessels had been spotted a day before about 60 kilometres from
Zambales.US defence secretary Pete Hegseth last month told an audience
in Manila that the United States was "doubling down" on its alliance
with the country, noting the necessity of deterrence "considering the
threats from the Communist Chinese".Chinese foreign ministry
spokesperson Guo Jiakun has since slammed the Balikatan exercises as a
blow to regional stability.On Monday, Balikatan will continue with
troops simulating defending against an enemy landing force along a
stretch of southern Palawan island.
China seizes disputed reef near key Philippine military outpost: report.
Beijing
(AFP) April 27, 2025 - The Chinese coast guard has seized control of a
disputed reef near a major Philippine military outpost in the South
China Sea, according to Beijing's state media, adding to longstanding
territorial tensions with Manila.Beijing claims sovereignty over almost
all of the South China Sea and has waved away competing assertions from
other regional countries as well as an international ruling that its
position has no legal basis.China and the Philippines have engaged in
months of confrontations in the contested waters, and Manila is
currently taking part in sweeping joint military drills with the United
States that Beijing has slammed as destabilising.The Chinese coast guard
"implemented maritime control" over the Tiexian Reef, also known as
Sandy Cay, during the middle of April, state broadcaster CCTV reported
on Saturday.The tiny sandbank, part of the Spratly Islands, lies near
Thitu Island, also called Pag-asa and the site of a Philippine military
facility.CCTV said the coast guard landed on Sandy Cay to "exercise
sovereignty and jurisdiction" over the reef, carry out an "inspection"
and "collect video evidence regarding the illegal activities of the
Philippine side".The broadcaster published a photograph of five
black-clad people standing on the uninhabited reef as a dark inflatable
boat bobbed in the nearby water.Another shot showed four coast guard
officials posing with a national flag on the reef's white surface, in
what CCTV described as a "vow of sovereignty".The group also "cleaned up
leftover plastic bottles, wooden sticks and other debris and garbage on
the reef", the broadcaster said.The Financial Times reported an unnamed
Philippine maritime official as saying that the Chinese coast guard had
left after unfurling the flag.There do not appear to be any signs that
China has permanently occupied the reef or has built a structure on
it.In recent months, Beijing and Manila have blamed each other for
causing what they describe as the ecological degradation of several
disputed landforms in the South China Sea.China's state news agency
Xinhua on Friday cited a report from the natural resources ministry that
it said "debunked" Manila's allegations that Beijing's land reclamation
projects had harmed the local environment.Philippine forces are present
on Thitu Island and Manila inaugurated a coast guard monitoring base
there in 2023 in an effort to counter what it describes as Chinese
aggression.On Monday, the Philippine and US militaries launched three
weeks of annual joint exercises called "Balikatan", or "shoulder to
shoulder", which will include an integrated air and missile defence
simulation for the first time.US Marine Corps Lieutenant General James
Glynn said at the opening ceremony in Manila that the two side would
"demonstrate not just our will to uphold our mutual defence treaty in
existence since 1951 but our matchless capability to do so"."Nothing
builds bonds more quickly than shared adversity," he said, without
specifying a common threat.Beijing said the manoeuvres "undermine
regional strategic stability" and accused Manila of "collusion with
countries outside the region".
Abbas names Hussein al-Sheikh as
deputy, likely succesor to PLO-Al-Sheikh said that the Palestinian
Authority was carrying out reforms and forming a new government as the
US and Arab countries requested, but it was not receiving enough
support.By REUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF-APRIL 26, 2025 21:16
Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas named close confidant Hussein al-Sheikh as his
deputy and likely successor on Saturday, the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO) said, a step widely seen as needed to assuage
international doubts over Palestinian leadership.Abbas, 89, has headed
the PLO and the Palestinian Authority (PA) since the death of veteran
leader Yasser Arafat in 2004, but he had for years resisted internal
reforms, including the naming of a successor.Sheik, born in 1960, is a
veteran of Fatah, the main PLO faction which was founded by Arafat and
is now headed by Abbas. He is widely viewed as a pragmatist with very
close ties to Israel.He was named PLO vice president after the
organization's executive committee approved his nomination by Abbas, the
PLO said in a statement.Reform of the PA, which exercises limited
autonomy in the West Bank, has been a priority for the United States and
Gulf monarchies, hoping the body can play a central role in resolving
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.The positions that Al-Sheikh
served-Al-Sheikh served as the Palestinian presidential adviser and was
the Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee. In February, he
co-signed a letter alongside five Arab foreign ministers that was sent
to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in opposition to plans to displace
Palestinians from Gaza, as suggested by President Donald Trump in late
January.In May of last year, Al-Sheikh attended a meeting with
then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a group of senior Arab
officials, which devolved into an unusual shouting match between him and
the United Arab Emirates's foreign minister.Al-Sheikh said that the
Palestinian Authority was carrying out reforms and forming a new
government as the US and Arab countries requested, but it was not
receiving enough political and economic support, according to
sources.Two months later, he denounced the killing of Hamas leader's
Ismail Haniyeh's death, saying it was a "cowardly act; this pushes us to
remain more steadfast in the face of the occupation and the necessity
of achieving the unity of the Palestinian forces and factions."At a
meeting of the PLO's Central Council on Wednesday and Thursday that
approved the position of vice president without naming an appointee,
Abbas made his clearest ever call for Hamas to completely disarm and
hand its weapons - and responsibility for governing in Gaza - to the
PA.Widespread corruption, lack of progress towards an independent state
and increasing Israeli military incursions in the West Bank have
undermined the PA's popularity among many Palestinians.The body has been
controlled by Fatah since it was formed in the Oslo Accords with Israel
in 1993 and it last held parliamentary elections in 2005.Sheik, who was
imprisoned by Israel for his activities opposing the occupation during
the period 1978-89, has worked as the PA's main contact liaising with
the Israeli government under Abbas and been his envoy on visits to world
powers.Walla contributed to this report.
Voices from the Arab
press: Integrating Hezbollah into the Lebanese army? A weekly selection
of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.By THE
MEDIA LINE-APRIL 25, 2025 19:42
Hezbollah severs outstretched
hand Nidaz Al Watan, Lebanon, April 17-For more stories from The Media
Line go to themedialine.org-An extended hand is met with severance –
this is Hezbollah’s enduring equation, a principle it has embedded into
its conduct for decades.Dialog, in Hezbollah’s view, is never a pathway
to mutual understanding but a tactical maneuver. Partnership is not a
framework for cooperation but a platform for domination. In Hezbollah’s
lexicon, any initiative toward reconciliation is rebranded as a
conspiracy that must be crushed – either through force or political
subversion.In 2006, national dialogue among political factions was
swiftly followed by catastrophe, as Hezbollah unilaterally abducted
Israeli soldiers, dragging the country into a devastating war that
destroyed infrastructure and spilled innocent blood, bypassing all
legitimate state authority. When Hezbollah joined the government and
refused to honor its agreements, the May 7 clashes of Beirut and Mount
Lebanon erupted – a violent episode burned into national memory. The
Baabda Declaration, forged at president Michel Suleiman’s dialogue
table, was barely dry before Hezbollah disavowed it, treating it as
though it had never existed.Today, President Joseph Aoun extends his
hand under enormous strain, facing both international and domestic
pressure to confront the illegal presence of arms in Lebanon. His goal
is to safeguard Lebanon’s military institution and uphold civil peace.
Hezbollah’s response: not political dissent or legal argument, but overt
threats to sever his hand – a discourse alien to democratic societies,
steeped instead in fascist overtones that ignore the nation’s painful
history.Rather than reflect on its ruinous past, Hezbollah chooses
escapism, brandishing the threat of chaos to manipulate public fear,
whipping its supporters into frenzies of rhetoric and deflection.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to escalate its warnings, emboldened by
shifting power dynamics that expose Hezbollah’s so-called deterrence as a
crumbling myth.On the domestic front, Hezbollah no longer hides that
its weapons are not Lebanon’s shield, but a lever for foreign agendas
and a tool for internal coercion. It is a party that does not seek
common ground because it is nourished by discord and ruin. In
Hezbollah’s worldview, anyone who dares to build a state is not a
partner but a traitor – someone whose outstretched hand deserves to be
cut off. Unless the Lebanese people rise to reject this doctrine of
sabotage and repression, the state will remain shackled, and the
metaphor of severed hands will remain a grim rule imposed on any effort
at national rescue. – Assaad Bechara-Sudan and the real regional
danger-Al-Masry Al-Youm, Egypt, April 19-Sudan now stands at a critical
crossroads, despite recent gains by the Sudanese army in reclaiming
large areas of territory it had previously lost, including parts of the
capital, Khartoum.The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed
Forces, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces,
under the command of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, is not
only one of the bloodiest but also one of the most complex wars
currently unfolding in the region. Its consequences are not confined to
Sudan’s borders; rather, they pose a serious threat to the stability of
the broader region.The prolonged civil war has laid the groundwork for
one of the most alarming security transformations in the Horn of Africa:
the potential evolution of Sudan into a fertile breeding ground for
armed factions and militias driven by extremist ideologies. The
near-total collapse of state institutions, the fragmentation of security
agencies, and the absence of a functioning central authority capable of
asserting control across the country have created ideal conditions for
radical groups that thrive in environments defined by political
disintegration and security vacuums. Experiences in Libya, Syria, and
Somalia have demonstrated that such conditions often catalyze the rise
of jihadist or ultranationalist factions that embed themselves in
marginalized, impoverished communities, exploiting social grievances and
a lack of governance to bolster their ranks.Sudan’s vast geography and
the difficulty of monitoring its porous borders – especially in such
regions as Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile – further exacerbate the
situation, making the country increasingly susceptible to infiltration
by weapons smugglers and human trafficking networks. This ease of
movement facilitates the transit and entrenchment of extremist cells,
often originating from other regional flashpoints in the Sahel or the
Horn of Africa. The danger escalates with the growing presence of tribal
militias, some of which employ religious rhetoric to mobilize their
constituencies, thus blurring the line between sectarian loyalty and
ideological extremism in the absence of centralized oversight.More
troubling still is the possibility that these groups could attract
financial and logistical support from external actors seeking to exploit
Sudan’s chaos to serve their strategic agendas. Such developments could
transform Sudan into a new theater of proxy warfare and sectarian
conflict, endangering the security of neighboring states, including
Egypt, Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, while also threatening key
maritime routes in the Red Sea.International organizations and United
Nations agencies have repeatedly sounded the alarm about this
trajectory. They warn that if the conflict continues without decisive
international engagement, Sudan risks following the path of
“Somalization” – a scenario in which the state fragments into zones
controlled by competing militias, some of which may adopt extremist
ideologies that could destabilize not just the region, but international
security more broadly. A January 2024 report from the UN Security
Council explicitly warned of Sudan’s potential to become a “safe haven
for terrorists” if the war is not halted and efforts to restore a civil
state are not urgently initiated.One of the gravest implications of the
Sudanese conflict is that it poses a dual threat. Not only could the
country collapse or fracture irreparably, but it could also emerge as a
new epicenter for terrorism in Africa. This underscores the urgent need
for a coordinated regional and international response – one that goes
beyond humanitarian relief to include sustainable political and security
strategies aimed at stabilizing the country, restoring governance, and
preventing the rise of violent extremism. – Abdel Latif El-Menawy
Integrating Hezbollah into the Lebanese army? An-Nahar, Lebanon, April
18-Lebanese President Joseph Aoun recently announced his intention to
lead a direct dialogue with Hezbollah’s leadership regarding the
transfer of its weapons to legitimate state authorities. He also
expressed support for the integration of Hezbollah members into the
national military establishment – not as an autonomous resistance force
akin to the Popular Mobilization Forces, but as part of the state’s
official defense apparatus. This initiative is a key component of
President Aoun’s broader efforts to resolve the ongoing dilemma of
Hezbollah’s weapons, which continues to obstruct reconstruction efforts
and delay the flow of international aid.Reports suggest that the
Lebanese army has already quietly begun collecting weapons from certain
Hezbollah sites, out of the public eye in order to avoid political
embarrassment. However, the issue of integrating Hezbollah members into
the armed forces poses a significant and complex challenge, both
domestically and internationally – one that may not have been fully
anticipated by the president’s advisory team and must be urgently
addressed.The Lebanese army has a relatively successful track record in
absorbing former militia members following the civil war and the
implementation of the Taif Agreement in the early 1990s. At that time,
Hezbollah’s weapons were exempted due to regional arrangements brokered
by the late Syrian president Hafez Assad, under the justification that
they were necessary for resisting the Israeli occupation in southern
Lebanon.The militias that were integrated into the army at the time were
secular in nature, with nationalist leanings on both the Right and
Left. Their fighters underwent training focused on discipline, adherence
to military hierarchy, and alignment with the Lebanese army’s
doctrine.Hezbollah, however, is fundamentally different. It is an
ideological party rooted in armed Shi’ite political Islam, established
by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRCG) as part of a broader
regional project that has extended far beyond Lebanon’s borders over the
past four decades.Many of Hezbollah’s youth have been raised from
childhood in party-run institutions, indoctrinated with loyalty to the
supreme leader of Iran. These cadres have played a key role in
militarizing Shi’ite movements across the Arab world, particularly since
2004.The use of religious doctrine to justify violence within Shi’ite
political Islam is not fundamentally different from its Sunni
counterpart. Both rely on religious rulings and fatwas issued by
clerical authorities deemed legitimate by their respective movements.In
Sunni jihadist groups like al-Qaida and ISIS, fighters pledge allegiance
to an emir or religious figure who sanctions acts of violence,
including suicide bombings, promising divine reward.Hezbollah’s system
is more structured but mirrors the same ideological framework. What are
locally known as “religious mandates” are issued to fighters, defining
their mission and assuring martyrdom status in the event of
death.Hezbollah’s leaders have openly acknowledged their allegiance to
Iran’s supreme leader and their organic ties to the IRGC. Militant
political Islam – whether Sunni or Shi’ite – rejects national borders in
favor of transnational religious unity, with ultimate objectives such
as reestablishing the caliphate or expanding the Islamic nation
according to each sect’s interpretation.Globally, there is no precedent
for rehabilitating and integrating members of armed ideological Islamist
groups into a national army, particularly in a country like Lebanon,
which has endured decades of sectarian strife.Has the Lebanese army
command developed a concrete plan for such integration? How can young
Hezbollah members be transformed from ideological foot soldiers of the
mullahs into disciplined military personnel who accept orders only from
the Lebanese chain of command, without deference to external religious
authorities? Will Lebanese Shi’ite clerics be recruited to support this
transformation? Since 2001, as part of the global war on terror and the
emergence of al-Qaida and later ISIS, Western and Arab states have
focused on confronting armed Sunni political Islam. The Lebanese army
has engaged in multiple confrontations with Sunni militant groups in
Tripoli, Sidon, and the outskirts of Arsal.These groups were defeated,
many of their members imprisoned, and Lebanon’s security services
continue to monitor and detain suspects affiliated with them – hundreds
remain incarcerated without trial. How, then, can Sunni political
Islamists in Lebanon justify the inclusion of Hezbollah members in the
same army that has persecuted them for decades? This question is
particularly sensitive in Lebanon’s sectarian political system and must
not be overlooked.Furthermore, the new Syrian regime and its military
forces are themselves born of Sunni political Islam, raising the
potential for future complications if Hezbollah fighters are absorbed
into the Lebanese army. Most Arab countries – and especially the Gulf
states – have rejected both Sunni and Shi’ite manifestations of armed
political Islam. Even Western powers that once cooperated with Shi’ite
militias now classify many of them, including Hezbollah, as terrorist
organizations and are actively working to dismantle their influence as
part of broader efforts to contain Iran’s regional reach. Therefore,
despite the good intentions and theoretical appeal of integrating
Hezbollah’s armed wing into the Lebanese military, the initiative
carries significant risks and red flags that must be taken seriously to
prevent future instability. – Riad Kahwaji-Trump’s trillions and
Palestine-Asharq Al-Awsat, London, April 18-There is speculation about
US President Donald Trump’s anticipated visit to Saudi Arabia and the
Gulf next month, framing it around a promised $3 trillion and suggesting
it may be tied to political concessions involving Gaza, a potential
Palestinian state, Yemen, and Iran.First, it’s important to clarify that
these are commercial agreements – encompassing civilian, military, and
investment deals – not political bargaining chips. If the Palestinian
cause could be resolved in monetary terms, it would have been the most
expensive cause in history. Had the creation of a Palestinian state been
attainable through a billion or even a trillion dollars, it would have
happened long ago, and the region would have paid that price. Political
settlements and economic deals often follow separate forms of logic, and
they rarely align neatly.As for the costs and losses associated with
the Palestinian cause, the billions spent since the 1960s have produced
minimal tangible political gains for the Palestinian people. Spending
has continued since the wars [against Israel] of 1967 [Six Day War] and
1973 [Yom Kippur War], alongside decades of financial aid to the
Palestinian Authority, Fatah, and Hamas, and the vast sums that Arab
states have invested in military buildups to confront Israel. Add to
that the devastation inflicted on Lebanon and Syria, as well as the
financial damage to sectors like infrastructure, tourism, agriculture,
and industry in the context of Hezbollah and Hamas’ repeated
confrontations with Israel over the past three decades – it all adds up
to trillions of dollars, far surpassing the value of Trump’s anticipated
deals with the Gulf for economic projects in the years ahead.The
promised $3 trillion is earmarked to serve the interests of the Gulf
states, whose top priority, as in every other government in the world,
is the well-being of their citizens – not the Palestinian issue or any
other external matter. These deals are designed to accelerate economic
development, infrastructure expansion, and long-term growth
programs.Meanwhile, Iran has spent tens of billions since 1980 on
regional conflicts, funneling its citizens’ wealth into wars in Lebanon,
Syria, Gaza, and Yemen, and financing proxy networks across the globe.
After four decades, Iran has not liberated a single inch of Palestine,
nor has it preserved the influence it built in Lebanon or elsewhere. The
cumulative cost of these activities – when combined with the losses
from international sanctions and missed economic opportunities – easily
exceeds a trillion dollars, much of it wasted, resulting in hardship and
decline for the Iranian people.In contrast, the trillion-dollar deals
between the Gulf and Trump, while staggering in scale, are directed
toward transformative infrastructure projects, with meaningful returns
for the Gulf’s future. Portions of them are targeted investments in US
markets. Trump is not alone in using high-stakes deal-making to advance
national interests – every global leader does it, though not with his
characteristic bravado. Like the US, countries such as China, Japan, and
members of the European Union pursue robust trade relationships with
aligned partners, though often through quieter diplomacy.The Trump
administration, by contrast, has been unapologetically blunt, even with
longstanding allies in Europe, Japan, and South Korea, frequently
criticizing trade imbalances and burden-sharing in alliances, such as
NATO. Saudi Arabia’s relationship with the United States is both
strategic and reciprocal – a partnership that has endured for over 80
years and consistently served regional stability best when anchored in
dialogue and cooperation. The trillion-dollar figure is not a donation –
it represents planned expenditures over several years on major
initiatives currently under negotiation, including nuclear energy
development, liquefied natural gas exports, and joint military
manufacturing within the kingdom. – Abdulrahman Al-Rashed-Translated by
Asaf Zilberfarb. All assertions, opinions, facts, and information
presented in these articles are the sole responsibility of their
respective authors and are not necessarily those of The Media Line,
which assumes no responsibility for their content.
Canada man
drives vehicle into crowd in Vancouver, at least 11 killed-Canadian
police said that the suspect is in custody and that the investigation is
still ongoing.By JERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS-APRIL 27, 2025 08:17
Vancouver
police said on Sunday that 11 people had been killed and more than 20
people were wounded after a driver drove into a crowd at a street
festival in the western Canadian city.The 30-year-old suspect has been
taken into custody, police said in a post on X/Twitter.The police noted
that they were confident that the incident was not an act of terrorism.
"At approximately 8:14 p.m. on April 26, a man drove into a large crowd
of people attending the Lapu Lapu Day Festival near East 43rd Avenue and
Fraser Street," the police statement said. Vancouver police chief Steve
Rai said in a midnight press briefing that the perpetrator had been
known to the police in different capacities. #BREAKING: Mass-casualty
event after an SUV plowed into a street festival in Vancouver.
pic.twitter.com/hW2fDtzRYL— Insider Wire (@InsiderWire) April 27,
2025-Videos posted on social media show emergency services rushing to
the scene, where some people were lying on the ground with serious
injuries. Canadian media reported that some 100,000 people had attended
the event.Journalist Kris Pangilinan told the Canadian Broadcasting
Company that the attack was "something you don't expect to see in your
lifetime."He told the CBC that after Filipino-American rapper Apl.de.ap
of the Black Eyed Peas finished his set, the stage crew was removing
road barricades to allow traffic to flow through. Then, one of the cars
that the crew allowed through suddenly sped up and hit a person. "Then
we realized what was happening and everybody started yelling,"
Pangilinan said. "[The driver] just slammed the pedal down and rammed
into hundreds of people. It was like seeing a bowling ball hit — all the
bowling pins and all the pins flying up in the air.""As someone who
worked in news, you get numb to seeing these things — but seeing it in
real life is just shocking," he told the CBC, likening the scene to a
"war zone" and adding that he saw "countless" people injured. Other
eyewitnesses said that the attacker went straight through the block
party. “I didn’t get to see the driver, all I heard was an engine rev,"
Yoseb Vardeh, co-owner of food truck Bao Buns, said in an interview with
Postmedia.“I got outside my food truck, I looked down the road and
there’s just bodies everywhere,” said Vardeh, as his voice broke. “He
went through the whole block, he went straight down the middle.”In a
separate video, dozens of police cars can be seen outside the limits of
the festival. Civilians on X/Twitter reported a heavy police presence in
the surrounding area. Heavy police presence right now on Fraser Street
after a report of a vehicle that drove into a crowd of people at Lapu
Lapu Festival in Vancouver. Praying no one was hurt
https://t.co/eXGOHI4TcA— Karm Sumal (@KarmSumal) April 27, 2025-A
picture of the vehicle that is being circulated on social media shows
that the unnamed perpetrator heavily damaged the front of the SUV.
Canadian police stressed that the investigation into the incident was
ongoing and that they would release more information as it
unfolded.Canadian politicians, President Marcos react to deadly car
ramming-Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote that he was
"devastated to hear about the horrific events" at the block party in a
post on X/Twitter. "I offer my deepest condolences to the loved ones of
those killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to
everyone in Vancouver. We are all mourning with you." Philippine
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said he was "shattered to hear about the
terrible incident" in Vancouver. Marcos said the Philippine Consulate
General in Vancouver was working with Canadian authorities to ensure
that the incident would be thoroughly investigated.Conservative leader
Pierre Poilievre said that he was "shocked" at the events in Vancouver
in a statement on X/Twitter. "My thoughts are with the Filipino
community and all the victims targeted by this senseless attack. Thank
you to the first responders who are at the scene as we wait to hear
more."The party's organizers, a group called Filipino BC, wrote that it
was struggling with the weight of the loss.“We are still finding the
words to express the deep heartbreak brought on by this senseless
tragedy. We are devastated for the families and victims.”Vancouver Mayor
Ken Sim said that he was "shocked and deeply saddened" by the ramming,
and added that his thoughts were with the Filipino community and those
affected by the attack. British Columbia Premier David Eby wrote that
his government was working closely with authorities to finish the
investigation quickly.
Indian, Pakistani protesters wave
Israeli, Palestinian flags during London protests-Following the attack,
protests erupted in London and other cities in the UK among the Indian
and Pakistani diaspora communities.By JERUSALEM POST STAFF-APRIL 26,
2025 19:06
Israeli and Palestinian flags were spotted at
demonstrations on Saturday in London between Indian and Pakistani
diasporas, following the Islamist terror attack in Indian-controlled
Kashmir, which killed 26 people on Tuesday.BREAKING: Indian and
Pakistani protesters are facing off in London after the brutal Islamist
attack on Hindus. Indians are waving Israeli flags, while Pakistanis
wave Palestinian flags — just like after Oct. 7, Islamists are back on
the streets celebrating.pic.twitter.com/Zu4DIT5Zdc— Eyal Yakoby
(@EYakoby) April 26, 2025-Following the attack, protests erupted in
London and other cities in the UK among the diaspora communities.Unrest
between the two communities in the UK has occurred in recent years with a
series of brawls and riots between Hindu and Muslim rioters, which some
analysts linked to India's defeat of Pakistan in the 2022 Asia Cricket
Cup.Tensions were further enflamed when a Pakistani diplomat was seen
making a throat-slitting gesture at protesters, which the Times of India
identified as a senior Pakistani Army officer.Enflaming old
tensions-The attack sparked serious diplomatic tensions between the
South Asian states, with the Modi government blaming the Pakistani
government for the attack. Indian police announced that two of the three
suspects were Pakistani nationals.This led to a serious enflaming of
tensions, mutual visa cancellations, and India unilaterally abrogating
the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, with Indian Water Resources Minister CR
Paatil saying "not even a drop" of water would go to Pakistan.The treaty
regulates the water usage of several rivers that feed into the Indus
River, which runs through Pakistan and is its primary source of
water.Pakistan responded by closing its airspace to Indian aircraft and
suspending all trade.Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged gunfire for
at least two days, which is still ongoing, with the Indian Army blaming
Pakistani troops for sporadic fire around midnight on Thursday.Reuters
contributed to this report.
A FALSE PROPHET COMES FROM THE VATICAN ALSO AT THIS TIME.
ISAIAH 23:15-17
15
And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten
seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of
seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
16 Take an harp, go
about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody,
sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
17 And it shall
come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit
Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with
all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.(COULD THIS BE
70 YEARS AFTER ISRAEL BECAME A NATION IN 1948)(IF SO THIS SATANIC ONE
WORLD WHORE CHURCH WILL MINGLE TOGETHER BY 2018)(AND NOW ISLAM AND
CHRISTIANITY AND ALL RELIGIONS ARE MINGLING AS ONE PEACE-LOVE-JOY-GET
ALONG RELIGION LEAD BY THE VATICAN RIGHT NOW 4 YEARS FROM THE 70 YEAR
TIME WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A NATION).AND IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM.
REVELATION 13:11-18
11
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN
POPE) and he had two horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he
spake as a dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR
FROM THE FAITH)
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast
before him,(WORLD DICTATOR) and causeth the earth and them which dwell
therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.(THE
WORLD DICTATOR CREATES A FALSE RESURRECTION AND IS CROWNED LEADER OF THE
NEW WORLD ORDER).
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14
And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those
miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to
them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the
beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had
power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the
beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the
image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth
all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a
mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the
beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred
threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM
REVELATION 17:1-18
1
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and
talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the
judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:(VATICAN)
2
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN
POLITICS) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with
the wine of her fornication.(THATS PEDOPHELIA-FORNICATION IS SINGLES
HAVING SEX OUT SIDE OF MARRIAGE)(AND SINCE PREISTS CAN NOT MARRY IN THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THIS FALSE CHURCH GOES AGAINST THE
BIBLE.THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BECOMES A HOMOSEXUAL HAVEN OF PEDOPHILIAS
FACTORY).
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the
wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of
names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the
woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,(VATICAN
COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES FROM THE VATICAN)
and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup
in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:(THE
VATICAN GOES AGAINST A PRIEST MARRING A WOMAN-LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS-AND
WHATS AN ABOMINATION AGAINST GOD-HOMOSEXUALITY AND PEDOPHILIA JUST LIKE
THIS SCRIPTURE SAYS-FORNICATION IS THE SINGLE HOMOSEXUAL PRIESTS IN THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH HAVING UNMARRIED FORNICATION OR SEX WITH SINGLES-IN THIS
CASE ITS SEX WITH CHILDREN OR PEDOPHILIA)
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the
blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great
admiration.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou
marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that
carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast
that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless
pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall
wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the
foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is
not, and yet is.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven
heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS
BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are
fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one
is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet
come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED
ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-THE
EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL
HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR
TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE
EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION
TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE
THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD
OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE
EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS
CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received
no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them:
for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him
are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith unto me, The
waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and
multitudes, and nations, and tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE
WORLD OVER 1 BILLION)
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the
beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) these shall hate the whore, and shall make her
desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.(GOD
HIMSELF GIVES THE OK TO NUKE THE VATICAN)
17 For God hath put in
their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom
unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.(VATICAN)
Pope’s
final journey: 11 symbolic moments from Francis’ funeral
procession-Scenes from the funeral of Pope Francis on April 26, 2025
Scenes from the funeral of Pope Francis on April 26, 2025 | Vatican-By
Victoria Cardiel-Rome Newsroom, Apr 27, 2025 / 21:29 pm
The
six-kilometer journey that transported Pope Francis’ body from St.
Peter’s Basilica to St. Mary Major featured profound symbolism and
emotion. Here are some of the more significant moments:Departing through
“the door of his home”After the funeral Mass, pallbearers carried the
coffin not through St. Peter’s Square but via the Perugino Door, steps
from Casa Santa Marta — the Pope’s Vatican residence throughout his
12-year pontificate — from which he often “escaped” for surprise visits
around Rome.The Mexican popemobile as hearse-In a gesture rich with
meaning, the coffin was transported in a white popemobile that Mexico
had gifted to the Vatican in 2017 — a modified Dodge Ram that the pope
used during his historic 2016 visit to the country. Pope Francis’
apostolic journey to Mexico lasted six days, from Friday, February 12,
to Wednesday, February 17, 2016, when he visited five Mexican
cities.From Vatican to Rome crossing the Tiber-The procession crossed
the Tiber River via the Prince Amadeo of Savoy Bridge, symbolically
marking the passage from Vatican City to Rome. This moment represented
Pope Francis’ intimate connection with his role as Bishop of Rome.The
Bishop of Rome’s final journeyAmid applause from attendees, the
procession advanced along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, one of Rome’s main
arteries, where thousands of faithful gathered to bid their final
farewell to the Argentine pontiff. The route also included the iconic
Piazza Venezia, Rome’s neuralgic center, before turning toward the
Imperial Forums, connecting Francis’ pontificate with the Eternal City’s
millennia of history.Passing the Jesuit church-Pope Francis, the first
Jesuit pontiff in history, maintained a special relationship with the
Church of the Gesù in Rome, the main headquarters of the Society of
Jesus. On July 31, 2013, the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, he
presided at a concelebration in this church. During each apostolic
journey outside Italy, he sought to meet with local Jesuits.The
Colosseum and his final Way of the Cross-One of the most moving moments
was when the coffin passed by the Roman Colosseum. As pope, Francis
presided each Good Friday over the traditional Way of the Cross, praying
for peace and remembering Christian martyrs. Due to health problems,
Pope Francis had been unable to preside over this prayer at the historic
site since 2023.The Via Merulana and Corpus Christi-Traveling along Via
Merulana, the procession left the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the
cathedral of the Rome diocese, in the background, recalling Francis’
special bond with his role as Bishop of Rome.Via Merulana is the
traditional route for Corpus Christi processions in Rome, dating back to
Pope Gregory XIII, who established this route for religious processions
between the two basilicas during the Jubilee of 1575.Peter returned to
his Mother: St. Mary Major-The culminating moment was the arrival at St.
Mary Major Basilica, where Francis chose to be buried due to his
profound devotion to the Byzantine icon of the Salus Populi Romani. This
place held special significance for him, as he visited before and after
each apostolic journey to entrust his mission to the Virgin
Mary.Francis rests near St. Jerome and Bernini-Besides Pope Francis,
seven other pontiffs, various saints, and famous figures are buried in
this church. Some have special connections to the late pope, including
St. Jerome, whom Francis honored by instituting the Sunday of the Word
of God on the saint’s liturgical memorial.His tomb is steps away from
Argentina in Rome-St. Mary Major Basilica is located just steps from the
most Argentine place in the country: the Argentine embassy to Italy.
Francis never returned to his homeland after being elected pontiff, and
rumors circulated for years about his desire to be buried in Buenos
Aires.White roses from St. Thérèse of Lisieux on Pope Francis’ tomb-Pope
Francis had a special devotion to the French Carmelite mystic, St.
Thérèse of Lisieux, whose symbol is the white rose. The pope once
explained his connection to these flowers, telling journalists in
January 2015 after his trip to the Philippines: “When I don’t know how
things will go, I have the habit of asking St. Thérèse of the Child
Jesus to take the problem in her hands and send me a rose.”This story
was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.
It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Irish pres. attacks
Netanyahu over Gaza war during Pope Francis's funeral-It is not wrong to
"criticise a prime minister who is strengthening an army that is in
breach of international humanitarian law," President Higgins told the
press.By JERUSALEM POST STAFF--APRIL 27, 2025 04:25
It is
“outrageous” that those who critique the Israeli government’s policies
should be labeled as antisemitic, Ireland’s President Michael D. Higgins
said in a scathing criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.In
comments he made following Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, he said
it was not wrong to “criticize a prime minister who is strengthening an
army that is in breach of international humanitarian law and many other
aspects of international law, if there is no respect for civilian
rights, in addition to [those of] women and children.”He said many
people in Israel oppose Netanyahu’s policies, calling it a “great lie”
to suggest that those who opposed Israel’s military action in Gaza
supported Hamas.He just couldn't help himself! Michael Higgins, the
little antisemitic leprechaun and President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL)
chose the occasion of Pope Francis funeral, to launch into a tirade
against Israel and PM Netanyahu. pic.twitter.com/Kv4GJH5gh4— Arsen
Ostrovsky ️ (@Ostrov_A) April 26, 2025“Today, we’ve had a wonderful
gathering here in Rome of representatives of government and state,” he
said. “How could any of them remain silent then, if you are, in fact,
actually starving people to death by blocking food, blocking medicines,
blocking the basic water itself, the basic necessities of life?“Have we
become numb? I think when you think of Francis’s own concept of
‘indifference,’ that’s what he meant,” he continued.Netanyahu's absence
from funeral, Israel's response to Pope's death-Higgins appeared to
comment on Netanyahu’s absence from the pope’s funeral, saying, “It’s
very significant, not only who is at the event today but who is
missing,” before making further comments regarding Netanyahu’s
leadership and the Israel-Hamas War.Neither Netanyahu nor any senior
Israeli official was in attendance at the funeral after Israel decided
to send only its ambassador to the Vatican.This followed controversy
over the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s deletion of condolence tweets that
had been posted on its official accounts shortly after the pope’s death.
The condolence messages were removed within hours.Instructions were
reportedly given to all Israeli diplomatic missions to delete related
posts.Higgins, Ireland, and antisemitism-Irish Jewish leaders questioned
a decision to have Higgins slated to give the keynote address at the
2025 Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration in January, in light of
concerns that he has ignored antisemitism within the country.Irish Chief
Rabbi Yoni Wieder warned that Higgins’s speech may “ring hollow for
many Irish Jews” after he had “neglected even to acknowledge the scourge
of contemporary antisemitism in Ireland, let alone do anything to
address it.”Last year, Higgins dismissed Israeli accusations of
ingrained antisemitism in Ireland as “deep slander” in statements made
after the Foreign Ministry closed its embassy in Ireland because of
“actions and antisemitic rhetoric used by Ireland against Israel,”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said when announcing the embassy’s closure
in December 2024.Sa’ar added that he believed Ireland’s actions and
rhetoric delegitimized and demonized the Jewish state.“Ireland has
crossed every red line in its relations with Israel,” he said at the
time.Michael Starr and Corinne Baum contributed to this story.
Pope Francis and the Islamic world: A legacy of dialogue and fraternity-By Souhail Lawand.
ACI
MENA, Apr 26, 2025 / 09:00 am-With the passing of Pope Francis, the
world is reflecting on a pontificate marked by bold outreaches,
including to the Islamic world, which was rooted in fraternity,
humility, and a deep commitment to peace. How did the Holy Father view
Islam and Muslim peoples during his time as pope? What is the position
of the Islamic world toward him? From the very beginning of his papacy
in 2013, Pope Francis sought to build bridges with the Islamic world.
This is a distinctly evangelical approach, following the example of
Jesus, who, during his earthly life, deeply connected with those who
differed from him and with people from outside his own environment.Pope
Francis, by placing great importance on Christian-Islamic communication,
took his cues from the saint whose name he chose to bear: Francis of
Assisi, who created channels of communication between East and West in
times marked by violence and bloodshed — similar to those of our own
day. The pope also aligned himself with the Second Vatican Council,
which called for open dialogue with Muslims. One example of this was his
signing of the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living
Together with the grand imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayeb, in the United
Arab Emirates (UAE). Over the course of his papacy, Francis visited 13
Muslim-majority countries — despite increasing health challenges and
advanced age. These nations included Egypt, Iraq, the UAE, Bahrain,
Turkey, Morocco, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bangladesh, Jordan, Palestine,
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Albania.He brought to these visits a
personality and pastoral style marked by humility, simplicity of life,
closeness to people, and a desire to express love and fraternity with
those he met. Examples of this include washing the feet of a Muslim
woman and his quoting a Quranic verse on another occasion. All of this
has prompted the moderate Islamic world to reciprocate his love and
cooperate with him in order to consolidate brotherhood among peoples and
to work to achieve a better world characterized by understanding,
mutual respect, and peace.This story was first published by ACI MENA,
CNA’s Arabic-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted
by CNA.
Pope Francis cultivated bonds between Catholicism, Judaism-By Julieta Villar-ACI Prensa Staff, Apr 26, 2025 / 11:00 am
With
both bold gestures and strong words, Pope Francis laid out a path of
fraternity that consistently challenged religious and geopolitical
boundaries, often within the context of the severe tensions that
surround ongoing international conflicts.In 2021, for example, during
his apostolic trip to Slovakia, the Holy Father met with the Jewish
community there and referred to the “madness of hatred” that led to the
murder of more than 100,000 Slovak Jews during World War II. “We are
united in condemning all violence, all forms of antisemitism, and in
striving to ensure that the image of God in the human person is not
profaned,” he said.In November 2023, a few weeks after the war between
Hamas and Israel began, Pope Francis received the Conference of European
Rabbis, a meeting in which he expressed concern and condemned “the
spread of antisemitic manifestations.”Drawing on the words of St. John
Paul II, he addressed the Jewish community with the words “dear
brothers” and “elder brothers.”The dialogue between Jews and Christians,
Pope Francis declared, “is more than an interreligious dialogue; it is a
family dialogue” whose members are bound “to one another before the one
God.”His closeness to the Jewish community and his priority for
interreligious dialogue did not begin with his pontificate but date back
to his time in Argentina. In 1994, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was auxiliary
bishop of Buenos Aires when the attack against the Argentine Israelite
Mutual Association (AMIA, by its Spanish acronym) was perpetrated,
leaving 85 dead. There are 11 fugitives in the case still at large with
active national and international arrest warrants.The Supreme Court of
Argentina found that Iran-backed Hezbollah mercenaries were responsible
for the deadly bombing. Carlo Acutis and the four popes-In 2005, as
archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio was the first signatory of the
manifesto “AMIA, 85 lives, 85 signatures,” a document based on the
demand for “a country without impunity, with a better justice system,
with education and health care for all, without discrimination or
exclusion, and that we may preserve the memory of the things that were
done wrong so as not to repeat them,” according to La Nación.Creation of
Institute for Interreligious Dialogue-As cardinal primate of Argentina,
he promoted the creation of the Institute for Interreligious Dialogue,
whose co-presidents are Rabbi Daniel Goldman, the Islamic leader Omar
Abboud, and the priest Guillermo Marcó.In an interview with ACI Prensa,
CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Goldman and Marcó emphasized the
importance of Pope Francis in building bridges between both faith
communities.For Goldman, the success of interreligious dialogue lies not
so much in institutional actions but in personal relationships that
generate profound changes. He therefore believes that “the spaces of
affection developed jointly by Guillermo [Marcó], Omar Abboud, and Jorge
Bergoglio have been essential in bearing witness to how, despite our
differences, there are so many similarities that allow us to discover in
each of us what the other’s religious tradition contains in our own
lives.”In this regard, he emphasized that working together has allowed
us to overcome the concept of “tolerance” and move first toward
“coexistence” and then toward truly “living together in harmony,” an
attitude of mutual support where “I cannot live without the other person
[also] living."Argentina, an example of interreligious harmony -Marcó
recalled that when Bergoglio first arrived in Buenos Aires,
interreligious dialogue was not a priority on his agenda. However, after
the attack on the Israeli Embassy In 1992 before he was appointed
auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires and the 1994 attack on the AMIA, he
became actively involved with the Jewish and Muslim communities, marking
milestones such as his visit to the Islamic Center and officials from
AMIA and the Delegation of Argentine Israelite Associations, a gesture
that became a tradition for those who succeeded him as archbishop of
Buenos Aires.The interesting thing about the format we developed in
Argentina, which he later brought to the Holy See, is that at the
institute, we proposed not to emphasize the things that divide us but
rather the things that unite us," the priest noted.Both Goldman and
Marcó agree that Argentina is an example of interreligious harmony. “I
can attest to that. Over the last 25 years, we have built this institute
of dialogue, and I couldn’t think of anything in my life without a
sense of the deep friendship and brotherhood I have developed with
Guillermo and Omar,” the Jewish leader emphasized.Marcó cited for
example initiatives such as the interreligious dialogue training course,
the Day for Interreligious Dialogue, and the Night of the Temples,
events that demonstrate a path in the area that is “unthinkable” in
other parts of the world.During the Night of the Temples people visit
the houses of worship of different religions, an opportunity to
experience “the religious, historical, cultural, gastronomic, and
architectural heritage” of different faith communities. As the key to
achieving this, Marcó emphasized “that respect for others, without it
weakening your own identity. No one hides anything just so others don’t
feel uncomfortable.”However, for Goldman, there is a debt in Argentina
that still pains the Jewish community and society as a whole: justice
for the attacks that occurred in the 1990s. “The demand for justice
regarding the AMIA bombings, regarding the Israeli Embassy, are issues
that are very dear to us, significant, and we hopefully expect that at
some point this can be resolved, but the delay in justice transforms
into injustice,” he lamented.Despite his efforts to maintain closeness
and dialogue, the global context presented challenges for the Holy
Father. For Marcó, the pope’s relations with the Jewish world were
affected by the war in the Middle East, with gestures such as his calls
to the pastor of the only Catholic church in Gaza, the Argentine priest
Gabriel Romanelli, although he believes it was a “way of showing that he
is keeping an eye on what is happening there.”He acknowledged that
relations might have been “a bit tense,” although he emphasized that
Francis condemned terrorism and at the same time expressed his concern
for the humanitarian crisis in the region. “The pope always repeated
that war is a failure,” he pointed out.For his part, the rabbi pointed
out that “there are certain terms that are painful for Jews, such as the
word genocide.”“We can have our differences. If everyone thought like
me, they would all be Jews, and if everyone thought like the pope, they
would all be Christians,” he summarized, urging people to “know how to
accept disagreement as part of the conversation.”Despite these
obstacles, both agree that Pope Francis left an indelible mark on the
path of interreligious dialogue and marked “milestones, from which it is
difficult to go back,” Marcó said.“We can’t be satisfied with where we
are; we have to keep moving forward,” Goldman concluded.In a world where
algorithms “tend to radicalize positions,” Marcó said, “the interesting
thing about dialogue, about pluralistic thinking, is that when we
dialogue with someone, we have to be willing for something to change.
You have to come out changed.”Pope Francis and Rabbi Skorka-The path of
dialogue with Judaism led to a friendship between Pope Francis and Rabbi
Abraham Skorka, with whom he wrote the book “On Heaven and Earth” and
also shared a television program.It was Skorka who, along with the
Islamic leader Omar Abboud, shared an iconic embrace with the Holy
Father in front of the Western Wall.When Cardinal Bergoglio was elected
pope, Skorka described him as “a man of integrity, a man of very deep
faith, a man who, I would even say, abhors superficiality. A man of
sincere simplicity, a man who constantly seeks God.”On that occasion,
the rabbi told CNA that strengthening interreligious dialogue would be
one of the key focuses of his pontificate.In May 2023, Rabbi Skorka
received an honorary doctorate from the University of Trnava’s theology
department in Slovakia for his contribution to advancing interreligious
dialogue.For the occasion, Pope Francis sent him a congratulatory letter
for his commitment and for his positive influence on “two generations
of rabbis, as well as Catholic and Protestant theologians.”“I too have
experienced your gift of friendship and wisdom, for which I thank the
Lord,” the Holy Father said.“You have rightly sought to show that people
of faith can and must defend human rights in all of life’s situations,”
he concluded.On July 18, 2024, marking the 30th anniversary of the AMIA
bombing, Pope Francis sent a letter that was read at the commemorative
event in which he stated: “The memory of those who died in that dark
tragedy remains alive in our prayers and in our ongoing commitment to
justice.”“Memory can be our guide. It teaches us that remembering is not
only looking back but also projecting ourselves with hope toward a
future where such reprehensible acts of violence will not be repeated,”
he expressed.The pontiff also encouraged people to continue fighting for
“a justice that does not seek revenge or retaliation but rather truth
and reparation. A justice that is essential not only for the affected
families but also for the cohesion of the nation’s social fabric.”A
message of hope to the Jewish people-On Jan. 26, the eve of
International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Pope Francis dedicated a
message to the Jewish people, saying: “May the anniversary of the
unspeakable cruelty that humanity learned of 75 years ago serve as a
summons to pause, to be still, and to remember. We need to do this, lest
we become indifferent.”In this context, he condemned “the horror of the
extermination of millions of Jews” and renewed the call to “eradicate
the scourge of antisemitism, along with all forms of religious
discrimination and persecution.”“Let us build together a more fraternal,
more just world, educating young people to have hearts open to all, in
the spirit of fraternity, forgiveness, and peace,” which was his fervent
desire.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s
Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by
CNA.
Second day of mourning for Pope Francis: Full text of homily
by Cardinal Parolin-Cardinal Pietro Parolin celebrates the Mass on
Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2025 — the second day of mourning for the
late Pope Francis.By Cardinal Pietro Parolin-Vatican City, Apr 27, 2025
/ 07:00 am
Editor's Note: On April 27, 2025, Cardinal Pietro
Parolin served as principal celebrant for the second Novendiales Mass
following Pope Francis' funeral. The following homily was delivered on
Divine Mercy Sunday in St. Peter's Square during the Jubilee of
Teenagers, as published by the Holy See Press Office.Dear brothers and
sisters,The risen Jesus appears to his disciples while they are in the
upper room where they have fearfully shut themselves in, with the doors
locked (Jn 20:19). Their state of mind is disturbed and their hearts are
full of sadness, because the master and shepherd they had followed,
leaving everything behind, has been nailed to the cross. They
experienced terrible things and feel orphaned, alone, lost, threatened,
and helpless.The opening image that the Gospel offers us on this Sunday
can also well represent the state of mind of all of us, of the Church,
and of the entire world. The shepherd whom the Lord gave to his people,
Pope Francis, has ended his earthly life and has left us. The grief at
his departure, the sense of sadness that assails us, the turmoil we feel
in our hearts, the sense of bewilderment: We are experiencing all of
this, like the apostles grieving over the death of Jesus.Yet, the Gospel
tells us that it is precisely in these moments of darkness that the
Lord comes to us with the light of the Resurrection to illuminate our
hearts. Pope Francis reminded us of this since his election and often
repeated it to us, placing at the center of his pontificate that joy of
the Gospel which, as he wrote in Evangelii Gaudium, “fills the hearts
and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of
salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness, and
loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew” (EG, 1).The joy of
Easter, which sustains us in this time of trial and sadness, is
something that can almost be touched in this square today; you can see
it etched above all in your faces, dear children and young people who
have come from all over the world to celebrate the jubilee. You come
from so many places: from all of the dioceses of Italy, from Europe,
from the United States to Latin America, from Africa to Asia, from the
United Arab Emirates… with you here, the whole world is truly present!I
address a special greeting to you, with the desire to make you feel the
embrace of the Church and the affection of Pope Francis, who would have
liked to meet you, to look into your eyes, and to pass among you to
greet you.In light of the many challenges you are called to confront — I
think, for example, of the technology and artificial intelligence that
characterize our age in a particular way — never forget to nourish your
lives with the true hope that has the face of Jesus Christ. Nothing will
be too great or too challenging with him! With him you will never be
alone or abandoned, not even in the worst of times! He comes to meet you
where you are, to give you the courage to live, to share your
experiences, your thoughts, your gifts, and your dreams. He comes to you
in the face of those near or far, a brother and sister to love, to whom
you have so much to give and from whom so much to receive, to help you
to be generous, faithful, and responsible as you move forward in life.
He wants to help you to understand what is most valuable in life: the
love that encompasses all things and hopes all things (cf. 1 Cor
13:7).Today, on the second Sunday of Easter, Dominica in Albis, we
celebrate the feast of Divine Mercy. It is precisely the Father’s mercy,
which is greater than our limitations and calculations, that
characterized the magisterium of Pope Francis and his intense apostolic
activity. Likewise the eagerness to proclaim and share God’s mercy with
all — the proclamation of the good news, evangelization — was the
principal theme of his pontificate. He reminded us that “mercy” is the
very name of God, and, therefore, no one can put a limit on his merciful
love with which he wants to raise us up and make us new people.It is
important to welcome as a precious treasure this principle on which Pope
Francis insisted so much. And — allow me to say — our affection for
him, which is being manifested in this time, must not remain a mere
emotion of the moment; we must welcome his legacy and make it part of
our lives, opening ourselves to God’s mercy and also being merciful to
one another.Mercy takes us back to the heart of faith. It reminds us
that we do not have to interpret our relationship with God and our being
Church according to human or worldly categories. The good news of the
Gospel is first and foremost the discovery of being loved by a God who
has compassionate and tender feelings for each one of us, regardless of
our merits. It also reminds us that our life is woven with mercy: We can
only get back up after our falls and look to the future if we have
someone who loves us without limits and forgives us. Therefore, we are
called to the commitment of living our relationships no longer according
to the criteria of calculation or blinded by selfishness but by opening
ourselves to dialogue with others, welcoming those we meet along the
way and forgiving their weaknesses and mistakes. Only mercy heals and
creates a new world, putting out the fires of distrust, hatred, and
violence: This is the great teaching of Pope Francis.Jesus shows us this
merciful face of God in his preaching and in the deeds he performs.
Furthermore, as we have heard, when he presents himself in the upper
room after the Resurrection, he offers the gift of peace and says: “If
you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the
sins of any, they are retained” (Jn 20:23). Thus, the risen Lord directs
his disciples, his Church, to be instruments of mercy for humanity for
those willing to accept God’s love and forgiveness. Pope Francis was a
shining witness of a Church that bends down with tenderness toward those
who are wounded and heals with the balm of mercy. He reminded us that
there can be no peace without the recognition of the other, without
attention to those who are weaker and, above all, there can never be
peace if we do not learn to forgive one another, showing each another
the same mercy that God shows us.Brothers and sisters, precisely on
Divine Mercy Sunday we remember our beloved Pope Francis with affection.
Indeed, such memories are particularly vivid among the employees and
faithful of Vatican City, many of whom are present here, and whom I
would like to thank for the service they perform every day. To you, to
all of us, to the whole world, Pope Francis extends his embrace from
heaven.We entrust ourselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom he was
so devoted that he chose to be buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
May she protect us, intercede for us, watch over the Church, and
support the journey of humanity in peace and fraternity. Amen.
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