How is it even that Western democracies that claim to uphold the rule of (international) law and human rights for all still allow authoritarian regimes to send armed handlers to watch over sports teams competing in international competitions?

Either nations like Iran should allow their players to compete without babysitting thugs watching their every step, or Iran and nations like it should be barred from competition.

Shame on Australia and any Western nation that would allow this to happen.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir saluting Israeli pilots as they return from sorties against the Iranian terror regime.

Netanyahu urges Iranians to topple the ayatollahs

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his call to the Iranian people to throw off the chains of the Islamic regime that has oppressed them.

“People of Iran, we are waging a historic war for liberty. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to remove the Ayatollah regime and gain your freedom.

“Together with the United States, we are hitting the tyrants of Tehran harder than ever.”

Knesset speaker: Only offer to Iran is unconditional surrender

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana was responding to his Iranian counterpart Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf's claim that the Islamic Republic was no longer seeking to negotiate with the United States and Israel.

“The only thing proposed to you was unconditional surrender,” Ohana reminded Ghalibaf.

IDF Spokesman

The IDF has begun a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting Iranian terror regime infrastructure across Iran.

Simultaneously, the IDF has begun striking Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut.

An Iranian missile was intercepted over central Israel a short time ago.

What a clown.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar mocked his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, over a social media post suggesting Iran’s missiles had caused “utter devastation” to the Jewish state.

It’s perhaps difficult for the leaders of an authoritarian regime to grasp that in a free and democratic country with full press freedom, such devastation could not be hidden.

Yes, the IDF put new censorship guidelines in place to avoid helping the Iranians better aim their missiles and deny them juicy propaganda clips. But Israel has been quite open about what damage and casualties have resulted from the Iranian attacks.

Araghchi is starting to remind us of “Baghdad Bob,” the Iraqi Information Minister during the Second Gulf War, who went on television insisting the armies of Iraq were defeating the Americans, even as American tanks could be seen behind him entering the Iraqi capital.

As Israel’s foreign minister said, nothing but a clown.

By the way - Araghchi claims he's got "men and women on the ground" in Israel to report what's really happening.

Well, so do you! We're here, and we can tell you that while there are indeed daily missile attacks, and some damage and casualties, Israel is far from being devastated.

Except for those short trips to the bomb shelters, daily life goes on. In fact, I need to leave soon to take my middle son to football (soccer) practice.

Something big blew up in or near the Iranian holy city of Qom.

Just 30 kilometers north of Qom is the Fordow nuclear facility 🤔

US Central Command called on Iranian civilians to evacuate all port areas where the Iranian Navy operates.

Sirens across central Israel.

Intercepted.

Iranian and Hezbollah missile fire at northern Israel.

Hezbollah has reportedly fired about 100 rockets in the ongoing barrage.

Initial reports of casualties in northern Israel.

Missile fire now to southern Israel.

Missiles to the south reportedly intercepted.

Israeli forces are currently carrying out a series of strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut. The civilian population has been urged to immediately evacuate targeted neighborhoods.