Iran Discusses Islamic Jihad's Comprehensive Plan for a Strong Response

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian met with the Secretary-General of the Palestinian movement of Islamic Jihad Ziad Nakhaleh (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian met with the Secretary-General of the Palestinian movement of Islamic Jihad Ziad Nakhaleh (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
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Iran Discusses Islamic Jihad's Comprehensive Plan for a Strong Response

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian met with the Secretary-General of the Palestinian movement of Islamic Jihad Ziad Nakhaleh (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian met with the Secretary-General of the Palestinian movement of Islamic Jihad Ziad Nakhaleh (Iranian Foreign Ministry)

Iran said the Islamic Jihad movement has a comprehensive plan to direct a solid and effective response against Israel.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian held a telephone conversation with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani on the latest developments in Gaza and the situation in the region.

"The Palestinian resistance has prepared a comprehensive plan to deliver a strong and effective response to the latest crimes by the Zionist regime," said Amirabdollahian.

The Iranian foreign minister also pointed to his contact with the secretary general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, Ziad Nakhalah.

Nakhaleh visited Tehran last Tuesday and met Amirabdollahian, among other Iranian officials. The Foreign Minister underlined Iran's determination to stick to its principled and unchangeable policy to support the Palestinian cause and the resistance of the Palestinian people against Israel's aggression and expansionist policies.

Nakhaleh praised Iran's powerful, effective, and constructive role in regional issues, expressing regret over efforts by some countries to pressure Iran.

The Islamic Jihad's secretary-general also presented a report on the latest developments in Palestine and said Palestinian groups must preserve their unity and solidarity to bolster the Islamic resistance of the Palestinian people.

IRGC-affiliated media quoted the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami, as saying during his meeting with Nakhaleh: "We are with you on this path until the end – and let Palestine and the Palestinians know that they are not alone."

"The Israelis will pay yet another heavy price for their recent crime," he added, according to Tasnim agency. The commander of the IRGC's al-Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, said on Friday that at least 15 operations "are carried out against the positions of the al-Quds occupying regime (Israel) every day, as they (Zionists) have built fences even inside the settlements for fear of their lives."

Qaani asserted that Iran would by no means ignore the vicious and criminal acts of the enemies anywhere in the region.

He pointed out the constant decline of the Israeli regime. Nakhaleh also met with Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Wednesday.

The Palestinian official said Iran has a remarkable presence in the region and that the resistance forces in Gaza maintain their strength and capabilities. Iran's Supreme Leader's adviser Ali Akbar Velayati described the relations between Tehran and Islamic Jihad as "close and serious."

The state-run ISNA news agency reported that Velayati and Nakhaleh discussed the situations in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and Turkey.

Nakhaleh reiterated that the enemies and the US had adopted a "very weak" policy in the face of Iran's influence, claiming that Tehran plays a very influential role in the region.

The Iranian media did not mention the objectives of Nakhaleh's visit to Iran. However, some reports indicated an increase in tension between Tehran and Tel Aviv and the possibility of Iranian nuclear facilities being subjected to an Israeli strike.



Students Sue Texas University, Governor over Gaza Protest Arrests

A military excavator operates in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 29, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
A military excavator operates in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 29, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
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Students Sue Texas University, Governor over Gaza Protest Arrests

A military excavator operates in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 29, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
A military excavator operates in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 29, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Four current and former University of Texas at Austin students sued the college and Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Wednesday, alleging they faced unlawful arrest and retaliatory discipline for demonstrating against Israel's assault on Gaza.
The lawsuit is among a wave of legal actions against US universities, law enforcement and state leaders over their handling of pro-Palestinian student protests that erupted in the Spring of 2024.
Filed in US District Court in San Antonio by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) on behalf of the students, the lawsuit accuses UT Austin President Jay Hartzell, Abbott and law enforcement officers of intentionally suppressing pro-Palestinian speech at an April 24, 2024, campus protest.
According to the filing, Abbott, with the consent of Hartzell, ordered state police in riot gear to carry out mass arrests, violating protesters' First Amendment rights to assemble and express their opinions.
In response to the lawsuit, UT Austin spokesperson Mike Rosen referred to statements the university made after the arrests saying it acted to preserve campus safety, enforce protest rules, and that most arrests were of people from outside the university.
Abbott's office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. In a social media post during the arrests, Abbott said: "Antisemitism will not be tolerated in Texas."
Two students named in the suit said they wanted to protect others from the physical and mental harm they had suffered.
"It is reclaiming our narrative because we were treated as antisemitic criminals," said Arwyn Heilrayne, a second-year student, who experienced a panic attack after she was knocked to the ground by police and had her wrists tightly zip-tied.
She has since had to leave an internship at the state legislature and been diagnosed with PTSD as a result of her arrest, she said.
Mia Cisco said suing the university took on a new urgency as she watched the Trump administration try to deport foreign students for their pro-Palestinian advocacy.
"It's really vital and crucial right now to make sure that that we say that it's not okay," said Cisco, a third-year student, who had her hijab forcibly removed by police following her arrest.
Dozens of demonstrators were taken into custody at the protest then released two days later after the Travis County Attorney's Office said charges were dropped due to a lack of probable cause.
All students arrested faced university disciplinary action, according to the lawsuit.
ADC Director Abed Ayoub saw most Americans, especially Texans, backing free speech for pro-Palestinian protesters.
"Governor Abbott and others are underestimating how much Americans value their First Amendment rights," said Ayoub.