Israel Escalates Military Threats against Iran

Israeli soldiers stand in front of an Iron Dome defense system battery in the Hula Valley (AFP/Getty Images)
Israeli soldiers stand in front of an Iron Dome defense system battery in the Hula Valley (AFP/Getty Images)
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Israel Escalates Military Threats against Iran

Israeli soldiers stand in front of an Iron Dome defense system battery in the Hula Valley (AFP/Getty Images)
Israeli soldiers stand in front of an Iron Dome defense system battery in the Hula Valley (AFP/Getty Images)

Israel has escalated threats of a "military attack" against Iran if the nuclear agreement negotiations failed.

The commander of the Northern Brigade in the Israeli army, Major General Amir Baram, asserted that Tel Aviv is prepared to confront any terrorist infrastructure, and Air Force commander, Major General Amikam Norkin, said that his forces are preparing to face the threat of Iranian missiles fired at Israeli towns.

The military editor of Maariv newspaper, Tal Lev-Ram, revealed Israel is preparing for a possible attack in Iran by focusing on the readiness of the air force.

Lev-Ram added that the army is working at a high pace to develop its capabilities to launch destructive operations against Iranian targets.

He indicated that the army will not be satisfied with strikes that obstruct the nuclear program, pointing to the expansion of Iran's "bank of targets."

Haaretz military analyst Amos Harel said Israeli officials are currently focusing on the political discourse, stressing that Tel Aviv has the "right to defend itself," leaving the army to direct military threats.

Meanwhile, a top expert in Israeli-US relations told Asharq Al-Awsat that the differences between Tel Aviv and Washington are minor and superficial.

"I do not want to say that Washington and Tel Aviv share roles in the battle against the Iranian project, but I am confident that they complement each other's," said the expert, adding that they share their views on the Iranian threat.

Former Mossad chief, Yossi Cohen, told Ynet news that the option of an Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear sites must be seriously considered.

"Independent strikes on nuclear sites, if Iran takes this path that endangers our existence, should and must be on the table — unequivocally," he urged.

He indicated that a good deal could prevent Iran from reaching a nuclear bomb, and a bad agreement like the one signed in 2015 can't do it perfectly.

"The bottom line is that we must take away the capabilities from Iran because we will not be able to take away its motivations."

Cohen stated that Israel should demand a good agreement, hoping the US would understand the meaning of a "bad agreement."

The Israeli security apparatus urges the US to pay attention to the Iranian activity accompanying its nuclear project.

It sent a report to the Pentagon claiming Iran has transferred hundreds of drones to Syria, and dozens to Iraq, Yemen, and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The report stated that three out of the six Iranian attacks in the Middle East involved drones.

Haaretz daily quoted Israeli sources as estimating that Iran is pushing attacks against targets in the Arab Gulf using drones as a means of pressure aimed at advancing interests related to its nuclear program.



US Lawmaker Says He Was ‘Detained’ by Israeli Settlers in West Bank

US Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) speaks with a Palestinian resident of Turmus Ayya, near Ramallah, during a visit in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, July 9, 2026. (Reuters)
US Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) speaks with a Palestinian resident of Turmus Ayya, near Ramallah, during a visit in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, July 9, 2026. (Reuters)
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US Lawmaker Says He Was ‘Detained’ by Israeli Settlers in West Bank

US Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) speaks with a Palestinian resident of Turmus Ayya, near Ramallah, during a visit in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, July 9, 2026. (Reuters)
US Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) speaks with a Palestinian resident of Turmus Ayya, near Ramallah, during a visit in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, July 9, 2026. (Reuters)

A prominent Democratic US lawmaker from California, Ro Khanna, said Saturday he was "detained" by armed Israeli settlers along with other Americans during a visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank and said the military was complicit in the incident.

"Israeli settlers, brandishing American made M4s, detained me & other Americans on my trip to Palestine," Khanna said in a post on X.

When the Israeli military arrived at the scene, he added, "they sided with the settlers & continued our detention. They made a huge mistake."

Footage and accounts provided to The New York Times by Khanna and his team shows a group of armed men blocking the road outside a small village in the southern West Bank and swearing at them in Hebrew and Arabic.

Khanna told the Times that when the Israeli troops arrived at the scene, the soldiers spoke to the settlers and subsequently blocked the road themselves when the settlers left.

After calls to the US embassy and Israeli police, Khanna said he was allowed to pass.

The Israeli army did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

The United States is a staunch ally of Israel, but some lawmakers, especially Democrats, have vehemently criticized Israel's military offensive in Gaza, and more generally the treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories.


Floods in Bangladesh Kill 44, Leave Over a Million Stranded

11 July 2026, Bangladesh, Dhaka: People wade through floodwaters in Dhaka, after torrential rain caused severe flooding and waterlogging across parts of the country. (dpa)
11 July 2026, Bangladesh, Dhaka: People wade through floodwaters in Dhaka, after torrential rain caused severe flooding and waterlogging across parts of the country. (dpa)
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Floods in Bangladesh Kill 44, Leave Over a Million Stranded

11 July 2026, Bangladesh, Dhaka: People wade through floodwaters in Dhaka, after torrential rain caused severe flooding and waterlogging across parts of the country. (dpa)
11 July 2026, Bangladesh, Dhaka: People wade through floodwaters in Dhaka, after torrential rain caused severe flooding and waterlogging across parts of the country. (dpa)

Floods and landslides triggered by days of torrential monsoon rain have killed at least 44 people in southeastern Bangladesh and left over a million stranded as authorities raced on Saturday to deliver aid to devastated communities.

The disaster management ministry said on Saturday that flooding across seven districts — Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Moulvibazar and Habiganj — has disrupted daily life, isolated thousands of families, and stranded 267,918 households.

Power outages, damaged roads and broken communication ‌links have slowed ‌rescue and relief efforts. Many residents have been unable ‌to ⁠cook for days ⁠as flood waters submerged their homes, while others are struggling after thick layers of mud covered kitchens and living spaces.

“There is still water inside our home and we have no way to cook. The dry food we had has run out, and we spend the nights in the dark with our children because there is no ⁠electricity,” said Nurul Islam, a resident of a flood-hit ‌area in Chattogram.

Thousands of families are ‌relying on dry food — flattened rice, puffed rice or biscuits that do ‌not require cooking — and emergency relief. Washed-out roads and damaged bridges, ‌however, have made it difficult for aid workers to reach some of the hardest-hit communities.

Army and navy personnel are ferrying food, drinking water, medicines and other essential supplies by boat to isolated communities, as authorities step up relief ‌efforts.

"The government is doing everything possible to support flood victims. Relief, safe drinking water and medical supplies are ⁠being distributed, ⁠and we urge people whose homes have been inundated to move to the nearest shelter," Disaster Management and Relief Minister Iqbal Hossain said during a visit to affected areas in Chattogram.

The heavy rain also triggered landslides in Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar earlier this week, killing 16 refugees, including women and children. More than one million Rohingya refugees live in the camps, where makeshift shelters on steep, deforested hillsides are especially vulnerable during the monsoon season.

Bangladesh is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, with seasonal monsoon rains regularly causing floods, river erosion and landslides. Scientists say climate change is making extreme rainfall more frequent and intense, increasing the scale and severity of such disasters.


Iran Warns It Will Not Be Bound by Deal with US if Violations Continue

An Iranian woman walks near an anti-US mural in a street in Tehran, Iran, 09 July 2026. (EPA)
An Iranian woman walks near an anti-US mural in a street in Tehran, Iran, 09 July 2026. (EPA)
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Iran Warns It Will Not Be Bound by Deal with US if Violations Continue

An Iranian woman walks near an anti-US mural in a street in Tehran, Iran, 09 July 2026. (EPA)
An Iranian woman walks near an anti-US mural in a street in Tehran, Iran, 09 July 2026. (EPA)

Iran warned that it would no longer be bound by a deal with the US aimed at ending the Middle East war if Washington's violations of the agreement continued, state TV reported on Saturday.

Referring to the deal struck with the help of Pakistani mediation, Tehran's UN ambassador said in remarks in New York on Friday "that if the United States continues to violate its obligations under the Islamabad Understanding, Iran will no longer consider itself bound by its commitments under that understanding", according to a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB.

The Iran-US deal was preceded by an April ceasefire, but the two sides have exchanged significant fire in recent days over the Strait of Hormuz, threatening talks laid out under the deal aimed at finding a permanent resolution to the war.

Following the exchanges, US President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire over, but said talks with Iran would continue.

In his remarks to reporters on Friday, Iranian UN representative Amir Saeid Iravani said Washington had "violated its obligation by launching and continuing large-scale military attacks against Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity".

"Iran remains committed to the faithful implementation of (the) Memorandum of Understanding provided that the United States fully and faithfully complies with its own obligations," he added.