International
The head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warns: “We will bury Israel in Gaza”
The commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guard of Iran, General Hosein Salamí, said on Friday that Israel will be “buried” in Gaza, amid tensions over the death of seven members of that elite military corps last Monday in Damascus.
“The message of the Resistance is that we will bury the Zionist regime (Israel) in Gaza,” the soldier said during a speech on the occasion of the ‘Al Quds Day’ (Jerusalem) in favor of the liberation of Palestine.
The so-called Axis of Resistance is an informal alliance led by Tehran, deeply anti-Israeli and formed by militant organizations such as Hezbollah, the Houthi rebels and the Islamist movement Hamas, among other groups.
“We warn that no action by any enemy against the sacred system of the Islamic Republic will go unanswered,” Salamí said, in an apparent reference to the death of the revolutionary guards in the attack on the consulate in Damascus, of which Tehran has accused Tel Aviv.
The military also assured that “no hegemonic power can strike Iran,” in an apparent allusion to the United States.
Coinciding with the ‘Al Quds Day’ in which hundreds of thousands of Iranians marched through the streets of the country, a funeral ceremony was held in Tehran for the seven revolutionary guards who died the Syrian capital on Monday.
Among the dead in the attack are the head of the Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon, Brigadier General Mohamed Reza Zahedi, and his second, Brigadier General Mohamed Hadi Haj Rahimi.
In addition, five other elite military corps officers and six Syrian citizens died.
This is the worst blow to the elite military corps after the death of Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian general who headed the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guard until he was killed by the United States in 2020 in a bombing in Iraq.
The supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, assured that Israel will pay for the death of the military: “The evil regime will be punished by our brave men. We will make them repent of this crime and other similar ones, with God’s help.”
Faced with calls for Iranian reprisals, Israel is on “maximum alert” and ready for “a variety of scenarios.”
The leader of the Lebanese Shii group Hizbuláh, Hassan Nasrala, warned this Friday that the attack perpetrated this week by Israel against the Iranian consulate in Damascus has marked a “pinding point” and assured that Tehran will respond to the bombing, which left at least 13 dead.
“This incident is a turning point in relation to the last six months. There is a before and after,” said the Shiite clerg during a televised speech on the occasion of Jerusalem Day, an annual event in support of the Palestinian population.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
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