On 14th anniversary of Syrian civil war, UN chief warns nation’s future hangs in the balance
On 14th anniversary of Syrian civil war, UN chief warns nation’s future hangs in the balance/node/2593509/middle-east
On 14th anniversary of Syrian civil war, UN chief warns nation’s future hangs in the balance
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for urgent action to secure the future of Syria, as the country marks the 14th anniversary of the start of its devastating civil war. (AFP/File)
On 14th anniversary of Syrian civil war, UN chief warns nation’s future hangs in the balance
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemns immense human suffering caused by a conflict in which chemical weapons were used, and food and medicine were weaponized
‘The Syrian people have endured unimaginable hardship,’ he says, but despite the devastation they remained ‘steadfast’ in their calls for freedom and dignity
NEW YORK CITY: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for urgent action to secure the future of Syria, as the country marks the 14th anniversary of the start of its devastating civil war.
He condemned the immense human suffering caused by the conflict, which included the use of chemical weapons, barrel bombings, and prolonged sieges that turned food and medicine into weapons of war.
The civil war, which began in mid-March 2011, became one of the most devastating conflicts in modern history, as peaceful protests against the regime of President Bashar Assad quickly escalated into a brutal war involving multiple factions and foreign powers.
More than 500,000 people were killed, and over 13 million Syrians were displaced, about 6.7 million of whom sought refuge in neighboring countries and beyond. The war caused widespread destruction, leaving cities in ruins, and severe humanitarian crises, including shortages of food, water and medical care.
“The Syrian people have endured unimaginable hardship,” Guterres said, highlighting in particular the indiscriminate killing of civilians and the destruction of hospitals, schools and homes. Despite the devastation, he added, the calls of the Syrian people for freedom and dignity have remained “steadfast.”
On Dec. 8 last year the Assad regime collapsed in the face of a major offensive by opposition forces, spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham. Since then, there has been a glimmer of hope for rebuilding and reconciliation, said Guterres.
However, he warned that “this much-deserved brighter future hangs in the balance.” All violence must end, he said, and he called for a credible, independent investigation into ongoing civilian deaths.
Entire families have been killed in the country’s coastal region in a recent series of sectarian attacks among rival groups, according to the UN. The violence broke out last Thursday when armed groups loyal to the ousted former president, Bashar Assad, ambushed security forces in the province of Latakia, killing at least 16 of them, the Syrian Ministry of Defense said.
“The caretaker authorities have repeatedly committed to building a new Syria, based on inclusive and credible foundations for all Syrians,” said Guterres.
“Now is the time for action. Bold and decisive measures are urgently needed to ensure that every Syrian — regardless of ethnicity, religion, political affiliation or gender — can live in safety, dignity and without fear.”
He also reaffirmed the readiness of the UN “to work alongside the Syrian people and support an inclusive political transition that ensures accountability, fosters national healing, and lays the foundation for Syria’s long-term recovery and reintegration into the international community.”
Guterres added: “Together, we must ensure that Syria emerges from the shadows of war into a future defined by dignity and the rule of law, where all voices are heard, and no community is left behind.”
He urged the international community to stand with the Syrian people as they work to achieve this more peaceful and inclusive future.
Erdogan tells Putin that Israel threatens regional security
Updated 3 sec ago
AFP
ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of threatening security in the Middle East, which he said cannot tolerate another war, in a phone call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday, his office said. Erdogan was quoted saying: “The spiral of violence that began with Israel’s attacks on Iran has put the security of the entire region at risk, (and) that the lawless attitude of the (Israeli premier Benjamin) Netanyahu government poses a clear threat to the international system, and that the region cannot tolerate a new war.”
UN rights chief decries ‘horrifying’ suffering in Gaza and urges leaders to pressure Israel, Hamas/node/2604664/middle-east
UN rights chief decries ‘horrifying’ suffering in Gaza and urges leaders to pressure Israel, Hamas
The UN human rights chief says Israel’s warfare in Gaza is inflicting “horrifying, unconscionable suffering” on Palestinians
olker Türk made the comments at the opening of the latest Human Rights Council session on Monday
Updated 2 min 54 sec ago
AP
GENEVA: The UN human rights chief said Israel’s warfare in Gaza is inflicting “horrifying, unconscionable suffering” on Palestinians and urged government leaders on Monday to exert pressure on Israel’s government and the militant group Hamas to end it.
Volker Türk made the comments at the opening of the latest Human Rights Council session on Monday, in a broad address that also raised concerns about escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, the fallout from US tariffs, and China’s human rights record — alongside wars and conflict in places like Sudan and Ukraine.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who has regularly spoken out about bloodshed in Gaza and called for the release of Israeli hostages held by armed Palestinian militants, used some of his most forceful words yet to highlight the Mideast violence.
“Israel’s means and methods of warfare are inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering on Palestinians in Gaza,” Türk told the 47-member-country body, which Israeli authorities have regularly accused of anti-Israel bias. The Trump administration has kept the United States, Israel’s top ally, out of the council proceedings.
Israel’s military campaign has killed over 55,300 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It says that women and children make up most of the dead but it does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
“The facts speak for themselves. Everyone in government needs to wake up to what is happening in Gaza,” Türk said. “All those with influence must exert maximum pressure on Israel and Hamas, to put an end to this unbearable suffering.”
The rights chief noted an increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine, nearly 3 1/2 years after Russia’s full-scale invasion. He also denounced executions without a fair trial and “wide-scale sexual violence, including against children” in Sudan.
Without mentioning President Donald Trump by name, Türk likened the US tariffs he imposed in April to “a high-stakes poker game, with the global economy as the bank.”
“But the shockwaves of a trade war will hit Least Developed Countries with the force of a tsunami,” he said, warning of a potentially “devastating” impact on exporters in Asia, and the prospect of higher costs for food, health care and education in places.
Türk expressed concerns about US deportations of non-nationals, including to third countries, and called on authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly.
The council session, which has been shortened by 2 1/2 days because of funding issues at the UN, is set to run through July 9. The Geneva-based council is the UN’s top human rights body.
Iran says parliament is preparing bill to leave nuclear non-proliferation treaty
Updated 16 June 2025
Reuters
DUBAI: Iranian parliamentarians are preparing a bill that could push Tehran toward exiting the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty the foreign ministry said on Monday, while reiterating Tehran’s official stance against developing nuclear weapons.
“In light of recent developments, we will take an appropriate decision. Government has to enforce parliament bills but such a proposal is just being prepared and we will coordinate in the later stages with parliament,” the ministry’s spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, when asked at a press conference about Tehran potentially leaving the NPT.
The NPT, which Iran ratified in 1970, guarantees countries the right to pursue civilian nuclear power in return for requiring them to forego atomic weapons and cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.
Israel began bombing Iran last week, saying Tehran was on the verge of building a nuclear bomb. Iran has always said its nuclear program is peaceful, although the IAEA declared last week that Tehran was in violation of its NPT obligations.
President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated on Monday that nuclear weapons were against a religious edict by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s state media said that no decision on quitting the NPT had yet been made by parliament, while a parliamentarian said that the proposal was at the initial stages of the legal process.
Baghaei said that developments such as Israel’s attack “naturally affect the strategic decisions of the state,” noting that Israel’s attack had followed the IAEA resolution, which he suggested was to blame.
“Those voting for the resolution prepared the ground for the attack,” Baghaei said.
Israel, which never joined the NPT, is widely assumed by regional governments to possess nuclear weapons, although it does not confirm or deny this.
“The Zionist regime is the only possessor of weapons of mass destruction in the region,” Baghaei said.
Israel says deports last three Gaza flotilla activists to Jordan
Updated 16 June 2025
AFP
JERUSALEM: Israel said Monday it deported the last three remaining activists from an aid flotilla that attempted to reach the war-torn Gaza Strip last week.
“The last three participants remaining from the “Selfie Yacht” (flotilla) were transferred this morning to Jordan via the Allenby Crossing,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, adding they included one Dutch and two French nationals.
More killed and dozens more wounded in Israel as Iran fires new wave of missile attacks on Monday
American consulate in Tel Aviv suffers minor damage as Iranian missile lands nearby
Israel says Iranian missiles are “clearly targetting” civilian sites
Updated 35 min 10 sec ago
Agencies
DUBAI: Iran fired a new wave of missile attacks on Israel early Monday, triggering air raid sirens across the country as emergency services reported at least five killed and dozens more wounded in the fourth day of open warfare between the regional foes that showed no sign of slowing.
Iran announced it had launched some 100 missiles and vowed further retaliation for Israel’s sweeping attacks on its military and nuclear infrastructure, which have killed at least 224 people in the country since last Friday.
The attacks raised Israel’s total death toll to at least 18, and in response the Israeli military said fighter jets had struck 10 command centers in Tehran belonging to Iran’s Quds Force, an elite arm of its Revolutionary Guard that conducts military and intelligence operations outside Iran.
Israeli air defence systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv amid a fresh barrage of Iranian rockets on June 16, 2025. (AFP)
Powerful explosions, likely from Israel’s defense systems intercepting Iranian missiles, rocked Tel Aviv shortly before dawn on Monday, sending plumes of black smoke into the sky over the coastal city.
Authorities in the central Israeli city of Petah Tikva said Iranian missiles had hit a residential building there, charring concrete walls, shattering windows and ripping the walls off multiple apartments.
The Israeli Magen David Adom emergency service reported that two women and two men — all in their 70s — were killed in the wave of missile attacks that struck four sites in central Israel.
“We clearly see that our civilians are being targeted,” said Israeli police spokesman Dean Elsdunne outside the bombed-out building in Petah Tikva. “And this is just one scene, we have other sites like this near the coast, in the south.”
The MDA added that paramedics had evacuated another 87 wounded people to hospitals, including a 30-year-old woman in serious condition, while rescuers were still searching for residents trapped beneath the rubble of their homes.
‘It’s terrifying’: Israeli citizens describe the moment the Iranian missiles hit
Guydo Tetelbaun was in his apartment in Tel Aviv when the alerts came in shortly after 4 a.m. (0100 GMT).
“As usual, we went into the (shelter) that’s right across the street there. And within minutes, the door of the (shelter) blew in,” the 31-year-old chef said.
“A couple of people came in bloody, all cut up. And then when we came to the apartment, after it quietened down, we saw there wasn’t much of it... Walls are caved in, no more glass,” he added.
“It’s terrifying because it’s so unknown. This could be the beginning of a long time like this, or it could get worse, or hopefully better, but it’s the unknown that’s the scariest.”
The pre-dawn missiles also struck near Shuk HaCarmel, a popular market in Tel Aviv that typically draws large crowds buying fresh fruit and vegetables. A residential street in nearby Petah Tikva and a school in ultra-Orthodox Jewish city Bnei Brak were also hit.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the latest attack employed a new method that caused Israel’s multi-layered defense systems to target each other and allowed Tehran to successfully hit many targets, without providing further details.
The Israeli Defense Force did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. There were no reports in Israel of interceptor missiles hitting each other. Israeli officials have repeatedly said its defense systems are not 100 percent and have warned of tough days ahead.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement: “The arrogant dictator of Tehran has become a cowardly murderer who targets the civilian home front in Israel to deter the IDF from continuing the attack that is collapsing his capabilities.”
“The residents of Tehran will pay the price, and soon.”
Katz later issued a separate statement saying that Israel had no intention of deliberately harming Tehran’s residents.
Iranian Parliament pens plan to leave Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Iran said Monday its parliament was preparing a bill to leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), adding that Tehran remains opposed to developing weapons of mass destruction. Passing the bill could take several weeks.
Israel is presumed to have a sizable nuclear arsenal but neither confirms nor denies it. It is the only Middle East state that has not signed the NPT.
Democratic senator introduces legislation to prevent Trump from using military force against Iran without permission
A Democratic senator introduced legislation on Monday to prevent US President Donald Trump from using military force against Iran without Congress’s authorization, as an escalating battle between Israel and Iran raised fears of broader conflict.
Tim Kaine of Virginia has tried for years to wrest back Congress’s authority to declare war from the White House.
During Trump’s first term, in 2020, Kaine introduced a similar resolution to rein in Trump’s ability to wage war against Iran. That measure passed both the Senate and House of Representatives, winning some Republican support, but did not garner enough votes to survive the Republican president’s veto.
Kaine said his latest war powers resolution underscores that the US Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the sole power to declare war and requires that any hostility with Iran be explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for the use of military force.
“It is not in our national security interest to get into a war with Iran unless that war is absolutely necessary to defend the United States. I am deeply concerned that the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran could quickly pull the United States into another endless conflict,” Kaine said in a statement.
Russia remains ready to act as a mediator Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. (FILE/AFP)
Russia ready to mediate on Iran, and to accept Tehran’s uranium, Kremlin says
Russia remains ready to act as a mediator in the conflict between Israel and Iran, and Moscow’s previous proposal to store Iranian uranium in Russia remains on the table, the Kremlin said on Monday.
Tehran says it has the right to peaceful nuclear power, but its swiftly-advancing uranium enrichment programme has raised fears in the wider West and across the Gulf that it wants to develop a nuclear weapon.
“This proposal remains on the table, it remains relevant. But, of course, with the outbreak of hostilities, the situation has become seriously complicated,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism on Sunday that peace would come soon and cited the possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin could help.
Iran tells Qatar, Oman it won't negotiate ceasefire with US while under Israeli attack
Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on Sunday, killing and wounding civilians and raising concerns of a broader regional conflict, with both militaries urging civilians on the opposing side to take precautions against further strikes.
Israel warned that the worse is to come. It targeted Iran's Defense Ministry headquarters in Tehran and sites it alleged were associated with Iran's nuclear program, while Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defenses and slammed into buildings deep inside Israel.
An Iranian health ministry spokesperson, Hossein Kermanpour, said the toll since the start of Israeli strikes had risen to 224 dead and more than 1,200 injured, 90 percent of whom he said were civilians. Those killed included 60 on Saturday, half of them children, in a 14-story apartment block flattened in the Iranian capital.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he hoped a meeting of the Group of Seven leaders in Canada on Sunday would reach an agreement to help resolve the conflict and keep it from escalating.
Iran has told mediators Qatar and Oman that it is not open to negotiating a ceasefire with the US while it is under Israeli attack, an official briefed on the communications told Reuters on Sunday. The Israeli military, which launched the attacks on Friday with the stated aim of wiping out Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, warned Iranians living near weapons facilities to evacuate.
