Foreign
Iran Warns US Against Further Attacks
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Thursday that his country had delivered a “slap to America’s face” by striking a U.S. air base in Qatar and warned against further attacks in his first public comments since a ceasefire agreement with Israel.
Khamenei’s prerecorded speech that aired on Iranian state television, his first appearance since June 19, was filled with warnings and threats directed toward the United States and Israel, the Islamic Republic’s longtime adversaries.
The 86-year-old, a skilled orator known for his forceful addresses to the country’s more than 90 million people, appeared more tired than he had just a week ago, speaking in a hoarse voice and occasionally stumbling over his words.
The supreme leader downplayed U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites Sunday using bunker-buster bombs and cruise missiles, saying that U.S. President Donald Trump — who said the attack “completely and fully obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program — had exaggerated its impact.
“They could not achieve anything significant,” Khamenei said. Missing from his more than 10-minute video message was any mention of Iran’s nuclear program and the status of their facilities and centrifuges after extensive U.S. and Israeli strikes.
His characterization of Monday’s strike on the U.S. air base in Qatar contrasted with U.S. accounts of it as a limited attack with no casualties.
The White House responded to Khamenei’s video, accusing him of trying to “save face.”
“Any commonsense, open-minded person knows the truth about the precision strikes on Saturday night,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday. “They were wildly successful.”
UN nuclear watchdog confirms damage to Iran sites
The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi, reiterated Thursday that the damage done by Israeli and U.S. strikes at Iranian nuclear facilities “is very, very, very considerable” and that he can only assume the centrifuges are not operational.
“I think annihilated is too much, but it suffered enormous damage,” Grossi told French broadcaster RFI. The IAEA has not been allowed to visit any of the Iranian facilities to do an independent assessment of the damage.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, also conceded Wednesday that “our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure.”
Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking shelter in a secret location after the outbreak of the war on June 13 when Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities and targeted top military commanders and scientists.
After Sunday’s attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Trump was able to help negotiate a ceasefire that came into effect Tuesday.
Iranian leader warns US against further attacks
Khamenei claimed the U.S. had only intervened in the war because “it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed.”
“It entered the war to save them, yet it gained nothing,” he said.
He said his country’s attack Monday on the U.S. base in Qatar was significant, since it shows Iran “has access to important U.S. centers in the region and can act against them whenever it deems necessary.”
“The Islamic Republic was victorious and, in retaliation, delivered a hand slap to America’s face,” he said, adding, “This action can be repeated in the future.”
“Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price,” he said.
Trump has dismissed the retaliatory attack as a “very weak response,” saying that the U.S. had been warned by Iran in advance and emphasizing that there had been no casualties.
With the ceasefire, life slowly returns to normal in Iran
On Thursday, Iran partially reopened its airspace, which had been closed since the war began, and shops in Tehran’s capital began to reopen, with traffic returning to the streets.
Majid Akhavan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, said Iran had reopened its airspace for the eastern half of the country to domestic and international flights, including those transiting Iranian airspace.
Earlier this week, Tehran said 606 people had been killed in the conflict in Iran, with 5,332 people wounded. The Washington-based Human Rights Activists group released figures Wednesday suggesting Israeli strikes on Iran had killed at least 1,054 and wounded 4,476.
The group, which has provided detailed casualty figures from multiple rounds of unrest in Iran, said 417 of those killed were civilians and 318 were security forces.
At least 28 people were killed in Israel and more than 1,000 wounded, according to officials there. During the 12-day war, Iran fired more than 550 missiles at Israel with a 90% interception rate, according to new statistics released by Israeli authorities Thursday. Israel, meantime, hit more than 720 Iranian military infrastructure targets and eight nuclear-related sites, Israel said.
Trump has also asserted that American and Iranian officials will talk next week, giving rise to cautious hope for longer-term peace.
Iran has not acknowledged that any such talks would take place, though U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff has said there has been direct and indirect communication between the countries. A sixth round of U.S.-Iran negotiations was scheduled for earlier this month in Oman but was canceled after Israel attacked Iran.
Iran has insisted that it will not give up its nuclear program. In a vote underscoring the tough path ahead, its parliament agreed Wednesday to fast-track a proposal that would effectively stop the country’s cooperation with the IAEA, which has monitored the program for years
AP
Iran has ruled out fresh negotiations with the United States at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, despite US President Donald Trump saying he expects talks between the two countries to resume this week.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported Monday that the Iranian delegation in New York had no plans to hold negotiations with Washington, citing an unnamed source close to the delegation.
The development came a day after Trump told Axios that he expected US and Iranian representatives to engage in further discussions following Washington’s rejection of Tehran’s latest proposal concerning the Strait of Hormuz.
“Iran’s delegation in New York has no plans for negotiations with the United States,” IRNA quoted the source as saying.
However, indirect diplomatic contacts appear to be continuing through regional mediators, particularly Qatar. Axios reported that Qatari officials have been shuttling between Iranian and US negotiators in an effort to narrow differences between the two sides.
Iran has proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days as part of a broader arrangement to halt hostilities. Tehran has linked the proposal to demands including the lifting of the US naval blockade, removal of sanctions affecting its oil exports and a regional ceasefire.
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial global energy corridor through which a significant share of the world’s oil trade passes, making the dispute over access to the waterway a major concern for international energy markets.
The latest diplomatic standoff follows months of conflict between Washington and Tehran. Iran has sought to use negotiations over the strait as a pathway toward a broader settlement, while the Trump administration has also pressed Tehran over its nuclear programme.
Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal on Saturday but said the door to further discussions remained open. According to Axios, he said he expected more talks during the week and that Qatar and other regional mediators were continuing efforts to revive negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also indicated Sunday that Tehran remained open to diplomacy, saying Iran was waiting for an official response through mediators despite Trump’s rejection of the proposal.
The conflicting statements highlight the uncertainty surrounding the next phase of US-Iran diplomacy, with Washington signalling interest in further talks while Tehran says its delegation currently in New York has no plans for direct negotiations.
Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic announced his resignation on Sunday, seven months before his tenure was originally scheduled to expire.
56-year-old Vucic ended his second and final five-year term amid campaigning for the October 25 snap parliamentary vote to elect 250 members of the National Assembly.
His departure sets the stage for early presidential elections and allows him to be appointed Prime Minister if the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) retains majority control of government.
“I have faithfully served you and my fatherland, Serbia. I am proud of what we have done together,” he told supporters at the Presidency building in Belgrade.
The populist politician, who previously served as Minister of Defence, said the first round of presidential elections will be held by the end of December.
Serbia’s constitution stipulates that the presidential election must be completed within 90 days, with the campaign lasting between 30 and 60 days.
Outgoing parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic will serve as acting President until her successor is elected. She was the Prime Minister from 2017 until 2024.
Factor Plus polling places public support for Vucic’s United Serbia, led by the SNS, at 49%. The youth-backed opposition challenger, known as the Student List, has about 37% popularity.
The movement stemmed from the “Students in Blockade” group after the collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy in November 2024, which sparked anti-corruption protests.
The group, which comprises academics, public figures, and professionals, gathered nearly 70,000 signatures and was proclaimed as number 3 on the ballot by the Electoral Commission.
At least 27 people have been killed and 26 others wounded in two separate mass shootings near South Africa’s two biggest cities, Johannesburg and Cape Town, triggering a police manhunt for the attackers.
The shootings occurred within hours of each other, adding to growing concern over gun violence and organised crime in the country.
In the first attack, eight gunmen armed with assault rifles and pistols stormed a tavern in Wedela township, about 80 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg, at around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Police said the attackers opened fire on patrons drinking outside before moving into the tavern and continuing the shooting.
Seventeen people — 13 men and four women — were killed, while 15 others sustained gunshot injuries.
The suspects reportedly searched some patrons and took their mobile phones before fleeing in two vehicles, which they later set ablaze. No arrests had been made as of Sunday, according to police.
The motive for the Wedela attack remained unclear. However, police said preliminary information suggested it could have been linked to an earlier incident at the same tavern.
Deputy provincial police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana said investigators had obtained images of the suspects and were confident they would eventually be identified and arrested.
The shooting occurred in an area where authorities have been intensifying operations against illegal mining and criminal networks operating around abandoned mine shafts.
Second attack near Cape Town
Hours later, another mass shooting was reported in Lwandle township, near Cape Town.
Police said gunmen opened fire at an entertainment venue selling grilled meat at about 1:46 a.m. on Sunday, killing 10 people and injuring 11 others.
Five victims died at the scene, while five others succumbed to their injuries after being taken to medical facilities.
Police said detectives were searching for the perpetrators, with no arrests reported in connection with the attack.
Videos circulating on social media showed people drinking and dancing before gunfire erupted, sending revellers scrambling for safety.
Ramaphosa vows action
The two attacks came just days after another mass shooting near Durban in which 11 people, including a pregnant woman, were killed at a house party.
South Africa has long struggled with high levels of violent crime, with shootings frequently linked to gangs, organised criminal groups and disputes involving local businesses.
President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the latest attacks and said security agencies would continue efforts to reduce violent crime.
“This cannot go on like this,” Ramaphosa said, stressing that people should not be able to pick up firearms and randomly shoot others.
South Africa has repeatedly deployed soldiers to support police operations in areas affected by serious violence and organised crime.
Despite those efforts, shootings remain a persistent security challenge.
The latest attacks have renewed questions about the availability of firearms, organised crime and the ability of security agencies to prevent repeated mass-casualty shootings.
Police investigations into both incidents are ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information about the attackers to come forward.
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