More Stories
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will travel to Israel later this week to discuss developments in Syria, Lebanon, and Iran, National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said in a statement.
Sullivan’s trip is aimed at advancing Gaza ceasefire talks and addressing regional security concerns, according to the statement.
NATO chief Mark Rutte said on Monday said Iran and Russia "proved to be unreliable partners, abandoning Assad when he ceased to be of use to them."
He also said that Tehran and Moscow were "the main backers of the Assad regime, and they share the responsibility for the crimes committed against the Syrian people."
Rainfall across 29 Iranian provinces has dropped by nearly a third since October, according to the Iran Meteorological Organization, as the country continues to struggle with water scarcity.
The country has experienced an overall rainfall reduction of 31.9% during this period, with the southern provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan and Hormozgan seeing the most dramatic declines at nearly 90% and just over three-quarters, respectively.
Mansour Shishehforoush, the Director General of Crisis Management for Isfahan Province, highlighted the severity of the situation earlier this year.
"Isfahan has a dry and semi-dry climate, and over 80% of its area is experiencing drought conditions," he said in July, noting that water tankers were being used to supply over 300 villages. Isfahan has since recorded a 68% reduction in autumn rainfall.
Despite the alarming trends, some regions have bucked the pattern. South Khorasan and Mazandaran have reported slight increases in rainfall, rising by 1.1% and 14.3%, respectively. These exceptions provide little relief, as other provinces, including Golestan and Gilan in the north, have experienced reductions of 16.6% and 7.8%, exacerbating the broader drought.
Sadegh Ziaeian, head of the National Center for Weather Forecasting and Crisis Management, flagged an additional concern: reduced water inflow into the Caspian Sea from neighboring countries, contributing to a decline in the sea's water level.
The rainfall deficit follows a year of weather extremes, including heavy flooding earlier in central and southeastern regions. These floods caused extensive damage, destroying homes and severing transport routes, highlighting the volatility of Iran's climate and the challenges it poses for crisis management.
Hamas congratulated the Syrian people on achieving their "aspirations for freedom and justice" following the toppling of President Bashar al-Assad, the Iran-backed Palestinian group said in a statement on Monday. The remarks marked Hamas’ first public response since rebel forces captured Damascus.
"We stand strongly with the great people of Syria... and respect the will, the independence, and the political choices of the people of Syria," the statement said, adding that Hamas hoped that post-Assad Syria would continue "its historical and pivotal role in supporting the Palestinian people."
Iran’s judiciary chief Ejei warned that the country’s enemies are spreading false information to take advantage of the fallout from Bashar al-Assad’s ouster, saying their goal is to harm public trust and create fear among Iranian citizens.
"Adversaries are seeking to spread poisonous propaganda against the resistance through lies and aim to exploit the resulting environment to undermine the psychological security of our citizens," Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said on Monday.
