Sami Hamdi | Geopolitical Analyst | The International Interest:
 

Iran demanded Lebanon be included in the ceasefire to protect Hezbollah. Israel, conversely, wants Hezbollah destroyed.

The Gulf states share Israel's goal. They fear that if Iran successfully protects Hezbollah, it will embolden pro-Iran militias in Iraq and Yemen to attack the Gulf.

This dynamic explains why the Lebanese government signed an agreement without a guaranteed Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

If Israel withdraws & Hezbollah retakes control, it proves Iran successfully defends its allies against imperialism while other Arab states facilitate it. This optic is disastrous for the Gulf.

Ultimately, both Israel and the Gulf states oppose the current MOU because it grants concessions to Iran and risks further Iranian expansion.

Even a proposal for Turkish peacekeepers in southern Lebanon was firmly rejected by Israel and the Gulf, out of fear that Turkish forces would never leave.

FULL INTERVIEW

UK Archives Unearth Lost US Declaration of Independence After 250 Years

Seized by the Royal Navy from an American privateer off the coast of Spain, the 1776 copy of the document lay hidden in naval intelligence files until this May.

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Egypt is set to inaugurate the Octagon, its new centralized defense ministry headquarters.

▪️Spans 22,000 acres in the New Administrative Capital
▪️Features 8 octagonal military structures
▪️Hosts a closed cyber network

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NATO Ankara Draft Affirms Defense Pact

A draft NATO summit declaration approved by all 32 members affirms an ironclad commitment to collective defense and outlines an $80 billion military aid package for Ukraine in 2026 and 2027.

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Netanyahu spoke with Trump and they agreed to meet soon in the United States.

Source: Axios

Iran Pursues Oil Sales to Japan Under US Sanctions Waiver

Tehran launched initial negotiations with Japanese firms to revive crude oil exports under a temporary 60-day U.S. sanctions waiver, though buyers are demanding extended legal guarantees.

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France weighs a strategic reset with Türkiye amid a changing European security landscape.

▪️Paris sees Ankara as a vital security pillar.
▪️Defense ties grow after French-German project collapse.
▪️Geopolitical interests converge on Russia and Levant.

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Tusk Warns Ukraine Must Reconcile with History to Secure EU Membership

Polish PM revealed that Kyiv is actively attempting to defuse a severe diplomatic crisis and warned that Ukraine must reconcile with its World War II history before entering EU.

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Trump is privately weighing whether to pardon Sean "Diddy" Combs, but no decision has been made.

Source: CBS News

Turkish Player Finds a Way After Wimbledon Bans Palestine Symbol

Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sonmez attached a watermelon-shaped vibration dampener to her racket at Wimbledon, after organizers barred her from wearing a Palestine-support pin.

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Türkiye Blocks American LGBTQ+ Cruise from Docking

Turkish authorities canceled port stops in Kuşadası and Istanbul for the Scarlet Lady, an LGBTQ+ cruise with about 1,900 passengers, citing moral standards.

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India's Muslim Women Face AI-Generated Abuse: Report

AI-generated sexualised imagery targeting Muslim women in India is surging, with a study finding 6.7 million interactions across 297 public accounts as India's laws struggle to keep pace.

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Japan celebrated America's 250th anniversary with a drone show in Tokyo featuring Trump and Sanae Takaichi.

Russia's Medvedev in Iran:

We mourn together with the people of Iran in connection with the tragic, martyred death of the Supreme Leader and the great Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, and share your grief.

But this grief has united the people of Iran, who did not yield to the pressure organized by the United States of America and other joined countries, stood firm in this struggle, and, I am sure, will ultimately win.

Japan celebrated America's 250th Independence Day with fireworks in Tokyo tonight.

Iran's Ghalibaf:

Imagine having forty-something million of your own citizens on food stamps and calling another nation hungry.

This is not a proclamation. This is a projection. Keep your SNAP advice.

Our assets, our choices. Mind your malnutrition rates.

Trump:

It is my Great Honor to have just signed Pardons for six people who were persecuted by the Biden Administration, and were in, or being sent to, prison, for “fixing their car.”

While I know this sounds ridiculous, it is nevertheless a fact, and part of the Weaponization and Stupidity that our Country had to endure during four long years of Sleepy Joe Biden.

I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!

Putin once again shows up in military uniform and says Russian forces have the "strategic initiative" on the front lines.

EU’s von der Leyen:

Europe is facing a housing crisis.

We aim to launch a European housing alliance, and we will convene a high-level European housing summit.

EU’s von der Leyen:

The continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank is utterly unacceptable.

The violence used to achieve this expansion is abhorrent.

This undermines the future of the two-state solution, which in our view remains the only viable path to lasting peace.

The situation is clearly deteriorating.

EU’s von der Leyen on Israel:

Ten months ago, the Commission proposed suspending trade preferences under the EU–Israel Association Agreement.

This proposal would have a significant economic impact, but it remains on the table for the Member States to vote on by qualified majority.

The ball is therefore in the court of the Member States. We made this proposal ten months ago.

Last month, we agreed on sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers. A number of Member States have proposed sanctions against Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir as well.

So far, however, no consensus has been reached.