Najaf [Iraq], July 8 (ANI): The funeral procession of Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in US-Israeli joint strikes earlier this year, has reached the shrine of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali, in the Iraqi city of Najaf on Wednesday, as thousands of mourners gathered to pay their respects during the fifth day of a six-day state funeral.
Not even a single American soldier will return alive, Iranian lawmaker says Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian parliament's Foreign Policy and National Security Committee, has warned US military personnel after Trump threatened to invade Iran's Kharg Island. "Not even a single American soldier will return alive," Rezaei wrote on X, responding to Trump's threat during the Nato summit in Ankara. "Come on, we're waiting for you," he added.
Gaza genocide and arms company profits underpin anti-Nato protests in Turkey Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Thu, 07/02/2026 - 10:21 Turkey's government has instituted a sweeping crackdown and protest ban as Trump attends key alliance meeting Protesters hold placards featuring US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an anti-Nato demonstration in Istanbul, ahead of the Nato summit in Ankara on, 27 June 2026 (Yasin Akgul/AFP) Off As US President Donald Trump flew into Ankara for the 2026 Nato summit, Turkey's membership of the military alliance continues to provoke anger domestically. Opposition to Nato membership is nothing new among leftists in the country, but the ongoing genocide in Gaza and a sweeping crackdown and protest ban that have accompanied the summit have heightened anger over Ankara's hosting of the meeting. A number of international figures, primarily socialists and anti-war activists, gathered in Istanbul on Saturday for a counter-summit opposing Nato.
Madrid [Spain], July 8 (ANI): Following US President Donald Trump's sharp criticism and his directive to halt trade with the country, Spain on Wednesday played down the remarks made by the US President, stating that Madrid 'enjoys excellent' bilateral ties with the United States.
Ankara [Turkiye], July 9 (ANI): NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday defended the recent US military strikes on Iran, calling them 'absolutely necessary' after Tehran allegedly attacked three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran says eight armed forces members killed in US strikes Iran's state news agency IRNA says eight members of the country's armed forces were killed in US strikes on southern Iran. According to IRNA, the personnel from the Iranian army's air and naval forces were killed in Bandar Abbas and Bushehr.
Iran’s attacks on vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and subsequent strikes on US bases in the region have exposed a widening battle inside Tehran between those trying to preserve diplomacy with Washington and those pushing for confrontation.
Trump praises Netanyahu as 'a great wartime prime minister' Trump has praised Netanyahu as "a great wartime prime minister" and said no US president has done more for Israel than he has. "Nobody has ever done anything for Israel like me," Trump said, citing US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. He said he and Netanyahu "worked with each other very closely".
Eight Palestinians killed in Gaza over past 24 hours Eight Palestinians were killed and 17 wounded in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, as Israeli forces continued military operations across the enclave. In its daily report, the ministry said a number of victims remain trapped under rubble and on roadsides, with emergency and civil defence teams still unable to reach them.
Oil prices are likely to remain volatile as long as the United States and Iran are unable to resolve the status of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump lavishes praise on 'fantastic' and 'highly respected' Sharaa Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Wed, 07/08/2026 - 16:01 The win for the Syrian president is simply having the meeting at all US President Donald Trump holds a meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the Nato summit at the Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Turkey, on 8 July 2026 (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) Off US President Donald Trump lavished rare praise on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday, calling him "fantastic" and "highly respected", as the two leaders met on the sidelines of the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey . The meeting itself is a win for Sharaa, who was first introduced to Trump a little over a year ago in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia , before finding himself in the Oval Office exchanging gifts with the US president by November. No Syrian leader - and certainly not one with Sharaa's past as a US-designated terrorist - had been in the White House in decades.
Thousands attend Khamenei funeral processions in Najaf and Karbala Tens of thousands of mourners attended funeral processions for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala. Khamenei's remains have now returned to Iran, where he will be laid to rest in Mashhad on 9 July. The 86-year-old leader was killed in a US-Israeli attack on his compound in Tehran in late February.
Lebanon demands Israeli withdrawal from 'pilot' zones Lebanon has said it would participate in the next round of direct talks in Italy after Israeli forces withdraw from two “pilot zones” in the south, AFP reported, citing a diplomatic source. The talks are scheduled in Rome on July 15 and 16, following a framework agreement signed last month. After US-led talks in Washington, Lebanon and Israel had agreed to create "pilot zones" in which the Lebanese armed forces “will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors”.
The negotiating process is fragile and recent US strikes show how hard it will be to reach agreement, writes BBC's International Editor Jeremy Bowen.
Hamas says it is stepping away from governing Gaza. But is it actually giving up power or turning away from its longtime backers in Tehran?
Trump says he may remove Syria from state sponsors of terrorism list "I think I will," the US president said when asked whether he would remove Syria from the United States' list of designated state sponsors of terrorism. Trump also says he has lifted sanctions placed on Syria and commended Damascus for becoming stable, Al Jazeera reported. The US president also again suggested Syria “could help with Hezbollah” in Lebanon.
The remains of Iran's late supreme leader are transported to Najaf and Karbala, as funeral ceremonies continue for a fifth day.
Ankara [Turkey], July 8 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at the Spanish government over its defence spending within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), calling the country a 'wasted cause' and saying that the United States would not be doing trade business with it 'anymore'.
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 8 (ANI): Indian equity markets closed sharply lower on Tuesday after comments by US President Donald Trump at the NATO summit sparked fresh geopolitical concerns, triggering a wave of risk aversion across global markets in the final hour of trading. The benchmark Nifty 50 plunged more than 500 points, or over 2 per cent, to settle at 23,887.
Brussels [Belgium], July 8 (ANI): European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas has stated that the rising military tensions in the Middle East are creating severe roadblocks for global diplomatic initiatives.
