IRGC Announces Readiness to Bomb Haifa if ‘Necessary’

Deputy Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Ali Fadavi (Fars)
Deputy Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Ali Fadavi (Fars)
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IRGC Announces Readiness to Bomb Haifa if ‘Necessary’

Deputy Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Ali Fadavi (Fars)
Deputy Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Ali Fadavi (Fars)

Deputy Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Ali Fadavi, said that his forces are ready to bomb Haifa in occupied Palestine with missiles if necessary.

For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian reassured the leaders of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements of continued Iranian support, at a time when Iranian political activists criticized their government’s policy of shaking regional stability.

Tasmin Agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, quoted Fadavi as telling a group of Tehran University students: “Some of you see practical action as a direct missile strike on Haifa. Of course, if necessary, this will be done without hesitation.”

He implicitly referred to the United States’ announcement that it shot down missiles launched by the pro-Iranian Houthi group in the Red Sea, saying that missiles with a range of two thousand kilometers were launched.

Iran warned Israel, in a message through the United Nations on Oct. 14, that it would intervene if the military operation in Gaza continued.

Abdollahian made two separate phone calls on Monday evening to the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, and Ziad Nakhalah, the Secretary-General of Islamic Jihad.

In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that Abdollahian briefed the leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad on “the latest Iranian diplomatic measures and movements at the international level”. He stressed “the necessity of stopping the killing of civilians in the Gaza Strip, including women and children, as well as opening the Rafah crossing, sending humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, and confronting their forced displacement.”

Reuters quoted a Hamas statement as saying that Haniyeh received a phone call from Abdollahian, and they discussed ways to stop “Israeli brutal crimes” in the Gaza Strip.

Haniyeh, for his part, warned of a major humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip due to the shortage of medicines and the breakdown of electricity generators in hospitals.

Iranian security officials told Reuters that Iran’s strategy is for its proxies in the Middle East, such as Hezbollah, to launch limited attacks on Israeli and US targets while avoiding a major escalation that would drag Tehran into the conflict.

Iranians fear serious repercussions of the war between Hamas and Israel on the Iranian interior, including a direct military confrontation between Tel Aviv and Tehran.

A group of Iranian political activists from across the political spectrum issued a statement condemning calls for a military attack on Iran.

The statement criticized Iran’s “defense of fundamentalist and extremist groups,” including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad, saying that Iran’s “policies of inciting tension and proxy wars” constitute a threat to security and peace.
 



Protest Against Gaza War Prevents Israeli Visitors from Touring Greek Island

Two empty chairs stand on a beach as people cool off during a heat wave, near Athens, Greece, 22 July 2025. (EPA)
Two empty chairs stand on a beach as people cool off during a heat wave, near Athens, Greece, 22 July 2025. (EPA)
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Protest Against Gaza War Prevents Israeli Visitors from Touring Greek Island

Two empty chairs stand on a beach as people cool off during a heat wave, near Athens, Greece, 22 July 2025. (EPA)
Two empty chairs stand on a beach as people cool off during a heat wave, near Athens, Greece, 22 July 2025. (EPA)

A cruise ship carrying Israeli tourists left the Greek island of Syros Tuesday without its passengers disembarking, after more than 150 protesters demonstrated at the island’s port, unfurling Palestinian flags and calling for an end to the war in Gaza.

Carrying banners that read: “Stop the Genocide” and “No a/c in hell” — a reference to the conditions Palestinians face in the Gaza Strip — the protesters chanted slogans on the dock near where the cruise ship, the Crown Iris, was docked on Tuesday, local media said. There were no reports of any violence.

The ship is operated by an Israeli company, Mano Cruise, which said about 1,700 passengers were on board and it is sailing to Cyprus.

Greece’s coast guard said the ship set sail at around 3 p.m., earlier than originally scheduled, but did not immediately have any further details.

“The management of Mano Cruise has decided in light of the situation in the city of Syros to now sail to another tourist destination,” the company said in a press release. “All passengers and crew members are resting and spending time on the ship on their way to the new destination.”

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar contacted his Greek counterpart, George Gerapetritis, over the incident, the Greek foreign ministry confirmed. It did not release any details of their discussion.