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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)
    London, Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat
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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.

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World

Pentagon Signs 7-year Deals to Increase Missile Production

FILE - The Pentagon is seen from the air, July 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
FILE - The Pentagon is seen from the air, July 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
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Pentagon Signs 7-year Deals to Increase Missile Production

FILE - The Pentagon is seen from the air, July 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
FILE - The Pentagon is seen from the air, July 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

The Pentagon said on Monday it secured seven-year agreements with General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) and Lockheed Martin to increase missile production.

The agreements are designed to "increase production quantities and accelerate delivery schedules for critical missile subcomponents supporting the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) interceptor programs," the Pentagon said.

World

Israel Signs Three-billion-euro Arms Export Deal with Greece

Greece to buy a defense system from Israel (Reuters)
Greece to buy a defense system from Israel (Reuters)
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Israel Signs Three-billion-euro Arms Export Deal with Greece

Greece to buy a defense system from Israel (Reuters)
Greece to buy a defense system from Israel (Reuters)

Israel's defense ministry announced Monday it had signed a deal with Athens worth approximately three billion euros (almost $3.5 billion) to set up the "Achilles Shield" aerial defense system for Greece. 

"Under the deal, Israel will build Greece a comprehensive, multi-layered air defense array, drawing entirely on Israeli-made systems and on the extensive operational experience Israel's defense establishment has gained during the war," the ministry said in a statement. 

"This is the largest defense export deal in the history of Israel-Greece relations, and one of the largest in the history of the State of Israel," it added. 

The deal was signed by the Israeli defense ministry's director general, Major General (Res.) Amir Baram, and his Greek counterpart, Ioannis Bouras, in Tel Aviv. 

A Greek defense ministry source had told AFP in late July about an upcoming purchase of Israeli-made anti-missile, anti-aircraft and anti-drone systems, part of a broader defense investment for the Achilles Shield of 4.2 billion euro ($4.8 billion). 

In a statement, the Greek Defense Ministry said the multi-billion euro purchase was part of "the greatest reform of its armed forces in its history". 

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias was quoted in the statement as saying that recent technological developments "have long rendered existing defense doctrines completely obsolete". 

"Greece is the first country in the European Union to adopt" a multi-layered air defense system such as the Israeli one, he added. 

According to the Israeli Defense Ministry, the export deal includes the David's Sling, Barak MX and SPYDER interception systems, air surveillance radars, and "a new national command and control system". 

All the equipment is manufactured by Israeli defense contractors Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries and its subsidiary ELTA Systems. 

A supplementary 26 million euro deal was also signed to provide Greece with Rafael's defense systems against drones, the ministry said. 

"Israel and Greece share common strategic interests and face shared regional challenges," said Defense Minister Israel Katz, quoted in the statement. 

"At a time when actors with hegemonic ambitions are seeking to expand their influence and undermine stability in the region, Israel and Greece will continue to deepen their defense and strategic cooperation," he said, in a likely reference to Türkiye. 

Greece is now one of only four European NATO members to spend at least three percent of GDP on its military, amid decades of tensions with neighboring Türkiye. 

Israel has also increasingly locked horns with Türkiye, having struck a disused military base in northwest Syria, claiming it wanted to avert Turkish troops deploying to the facility. 

In 2023, Israel signed a deal with Germany to provide the Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missile defense system, which was expanded in December for a total value of $6.5 billion, the country's largest-ever military export contract. 

 

World

World Leaders Need to See Rising Oceans in Pacific, Says UN Official

View of a rock formation at the Pacific Ocean in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California state, Mexico on August 4, 2023. AFP
View of a rock formation at the Pacific Ocean in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California state, Mexico on August 4, 2023. AFP
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World Leaders Need to See Rising Oceans in Pacific, Says UN Official

View of a rock formation at the Pacific Ocean in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California state, Mexico on August 4, 2023. AFP
View of a rock formation at the Pacific Ocean in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California state, Mexico on August 4, 2023. AFP

Leaders from the world's top economies should stand on a Pacific atoll to see the reality of record sea level rise, a top UN official said in Palau on Monday.

Noting last week's deadly floods in Nepal, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said rising seas in the Pacific were the "other side of that story".

"We do already know that a warming climate is changing the world's ice at extraordinary speeds, not only threatening the communities below glaciers but adding more water to our oceans," she told reporters.

Mohammed was speaking in Palau, where Pacific leaders have gathered for an annual summit to discuss challenges including climate change, crime and regional security.

The United Nations is pushing for G20 leaders to attend and make commitments at a meeting hosted by the tiny nation of Tuvalu in October, ahead of the upcoming UN climate summit in Türkiye, according to Mohammed.

"We think they should turn up and really engage with the world on what they need to do," she said, even though there are concerns few leaders outside the Pacific will make the trip.

Tuvalu, which is among the most vulnerable countries in the climate crisis, is preparing to relocate its population after scientists predicted most of its land may become inundated.

Palau's minister for the environment Steven Victor said the Pacific was "not begging for any handouts" but had fewer resources to deal with rising seas that threaten its communities the most.

"We need them to come and see," he said.

A UN report published Monday showed a record pace of sea level rise driven by warming oceans and glacier melt.

Up to 1.2 billion people could be displaced by 2050, with Pacific island countries experiencing sea level rise at twice the global average, it said.

It also highlighted a financing gap, with developing countries needing $310-$365 billion to adapt, yet having only $26 billion in adaptation finance available in 2023.

- Coral reefs under pressure -

Coral reefs are facing a "staircase of decline", with global hard coral cover declining 9.5 percent due to climate change over 40 years, another report released Monday in Palau by scientists found.

The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network analyzed data from 37,000 reefs in 120 countries, finding a narrowing window between major bleaching events.

Although reefs can recover after bleaching if they have enough time, the frequency of marine heatwaves means only partial progress is made.

The study found a major bleaching event every five to six years since 2010.

"We are steadily eroding the conditions they need to recover," said the study's lead author Manuel Gonzalez Rivero.

"Climate change is driving more frequent and severe marine heatwaves, but local pressures such as poor water quality, overfishing and coastal development are making reefs even less able to withstand them," he added.

Among the worst affected are reefs in Australia, the Pacific and Caribbean.

Around 100 million people live within five kilometers (3.1 miles) of a coral reef, a 46 percent increase over two decades.

The ocean was a highway for Pacific nations, connecting its people, but was in crisis, Palau's President Surangel Whipps said on Sunday.