— 🇮🇷/🇮🇱 NEW: The Iranian Foreign Ministry, in a press statement, officially confirms that it still intends to respond to Israel's assassination of Ismael Haniyeh in Tehran

Simultaneously, Iranian analysts have added that Tehran does not want to 'undermine' the ongoing ceasefire talks in Doha, as it considers the cessation of human suffering in the Gaza Strip as an utmost priority.

The response will come, regardless of whether a ceasefire is reached. But Iran seems to have come to an understanding with regional countries such as Qatar and Egypt that they will at least wait until the current negotiation round is over.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇷/🇷🇺 NEW: In response to an inquiry from Reuters into the alleged sale of Iranian tactical ballistic missiles to Russia, the Iranian Ministry of Defense states that the news is false, but that 'it does not care about the so-called international community' and that it is Iran's inherent right to import and export weaponry

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇱/🇵🇸/🇶🇦/🇪🇬 BREAKING: Senior Israeli officials believe that Hamas will not agree to the latest ceasefire deal that was proposed by Egypt, the U.S. and Qatar in Doha last Thursday – Kann

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇱 NEW: In what marks his 9th trip to Israel since October, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will arrive in Israel for a 'diplomatic push' today.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇷 NEW: In today's parliament session on approving the proposed ministerial cabinet, President Pezeshkian walked away from the microphone saying 'sorry, I am not good at speaking, I am also not good at reading documents, you should delegate this to the ministers'

@Middle_East_Spectator

— This guy is the President of Iran.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇷 He also decided to quote random unrelated verses of the Quran, and forgot one of the verses midway

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 Even Nafiseh Kohnavard, an Iranian opposition journalist working for BBC News, is calling bullshit on the U.S. media and their sources – that's when you know things have gotten REALLY bad.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇵🇸/🇮🇱/🇺🇳 UNRWA reports that Israel has reduced the 'humanitarian zone' in Gaza to just 11% of the territory.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇱🇧/🇺🇳 NEW: Three peacekeepers on patrol were 'lightly injured' when an explosion occurred near their clearly marked U.N. vehicle in the village of Yarine in southern Lebanon

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇧🇾/🇺🇦 NEW: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says that Ukraine has stationed more than 120,000 troops at its border with Belarus and that Minsk had sent military formations along its entire border in response

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇱/🇳🇴/🇵🇸 NEW: Norway is closing its representation in the West Bank after Israel revoked the status of Norwegian diplomats responsible for the Palestinian territories

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇱/🇺🇸 NEW: Newly leaked documents reveal that in 2018, the Israeli government sought legal advice on how to avoid requirements of the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which mandates disclosure of foreign-backed lobbying campaigns.

They proposed creating a new U.S. nonprofit to continue their activities while evading FARA disclosure. They also retained a prominent U.S. law firm, including the former DNC counsel, to analyze FARA risks and provide strategies to circumvent registration.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇱/🇬🇧 NEW: According to Israeli Channel 13, Netanyahu refused to meet with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy during Lammy's visit to Israel on Friday, despite multiple requests from the UK government.

Reports suggest Netanyahu was angered by the UK's recent decision to withdraw objections to the International Criminal Court.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇱 NEW: Israel's economy grew just 1.2% annualized in Q2 2024, below the 2.3-5% expected by economists. Per capita GDP even contracted 0.4% in the quarter, preliminary data showed. Business production declined by 1.9% and exports of goods and services dropped 8.3%

The war in Gaza has cost the Israeli economy over $67.3 billion so far.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇱 NEW: The IDF announced it has expanded its operations in Gaza into Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, and western Khan Yunis in the south

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇱🇧 NEW: Hezbollah announces the first operation of the Lebanese Resistance Brigades, a non-denominational anti-Zionist militia affiliated with Hezbollah

The Lebanese Resistance Brigades, 'Saraya al-Mouqawamah al-Lubnaniyah' in Arabic, or simply 'Saraya', consists of Sunni Muslims, Christians, Druze and secular Shia Muslims. The Saraya has been largely inactive since the South Lebanon war ended in 2000.

They are funded, trained, armed and founded by Hezbollah, and they operate under Hezbollah's central command structure.

@Middle_East_Spectator

^ For some context