Wait for Iran’s Retaliation against Israel ‘Could Be Long’, Revolutionary Guards Spokesperson Says

A veiled Iranian woman walks past a wall painting of a peace bird in a street in Tehran, Iran, 19 August 2024. (EPA)
A veiled Iranian woman walks past a wall painting of a peace bird in a street in Tehran, Iran, 19 August 2024. (EPA)
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Wait for Iran’s Retaliation against Israel ‘Could Be Long’, Revolutionary Guards Spokesperson Says

A veiled Iranian woman walks past a wall painting of a peace bird in a street in Tehran, Iran, 19 August 2024. (EPA)
A veiled Iranian woman walks past a wall painting of a peace bird in a street in Tehran, Iran, 19 August 2024. (EPA)

There could be a long wait for Iranian retaliation against Israel, Iran's Revolutionary Guards spokesperson Alimohammad Naini said on Tuesday.

The Middle East has been bracing for Iran's avowed retaliation over the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied that it was behind the killing.

"Time is in our favor and the waiting period for this response could be long," Naini said, referring to potential retaliation against Israel.

He said "the enemy" should wait for a calculated and accurate response.

Iranian leaders were weighing the circumstances and Tehran's response might not be a repeat of previous operations, he added, according to Iranian state media.

Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of carrying out the strike that killed Haniyeh hours after he attended the inauguration of Iran's new president Masoud Pezeshkian.

The United States has asked allies that have ties with Iran to persuade it to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the region to push for progress towards a Gaza ceasefire.

Naini said that Tehran supported any move that led to an end to the war in Gaza and helped its people, but added: "We do not consider the US actions sincere. We consider the US to be a party to the (Gaza) war."



At Least 148 Are Dead in Floods and Landslides in Nepal

Residents clean mud outside their houses in a flood-affected area following heavy monsoon rains in Kathmandu on September 29, 2024. (AFP)
Residents clean mud outside their houses in a flood-affected area following heavy monsoon rains in Kathmandu on September 29, 2024. (AFP)
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At Least 148 Are Dead in Floods and Landslides in Nepal

Residents clean mud outside their houses in a flood-affected area following heavy monsoon rains in Kathmandu on September 29, 2024. (AFP)
Residents clean mud outside their houses in a flood-affected area following heavy monsoon rains in Kathmandu on September 29, 2024. (AFP)

Rescuers in Nepal recovered dozens of bodies from buses and other vehicles that were buried in landslides near the capital Kathmandu, as the death toll from flooding rose to at least 148 with dozens missing, officials said Sunday.

The weather improved on Sunday following three days of monsoon rains, and rescue and clean-up efforts were underway. Kathmandu remained cut off Sunday as three highways out of the city were blocked by landslides.

Rescuers retrieved 14 bodies overnight from two buses that were headed to Kathmandu when a landslide buried them. Another 23 bodies were dug out from vehicles Sunday on the same spot, about 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Kathmandu, and workers searched for others who may have been buried.

A statement by the Nepal police said another 101 people were injured in the flooding and landslides while 50 are missing. The death toll was expected to rise as reports come in from villages across the mountainous country.

Residents in the southern part of Kathmandu, which was inundated on Saturday, were cleaning up houses as water levels began to recede. At least 34 people were killed in Kathmandu, which was the hardest hit by flooding.

Police and soldiers were assisting with rescue efforts, while heavy equipment was used to clear the landslides from the roads. The government announced it was closing schools and colleges across Nepal for the next three days.

The monsoon season began in June and usually ends by mid-September.