
Iraq voices radiation leak fears, urges preventive action
Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Iraq's National Security Advisor Qassem Al-Araji warned of potential radioactive leaks from military strikes targeting nuclear facilities amid the Israel-Iran war.
In a statement from his media office, Al-Araji voiced grave concern that the ongoing war threatens not only regional security but also risks global health and environmental disasters.
He affirmed Iraq's readiness to work with all parties to help contain the crisis, prevent further escalation, and shield civilians from the devastation of war.
Al-Araji urged the UN Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency to act swiftly to prevent what he described as an impending humanitarian catastrophe.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military announced it will intensify airstrikes inside Iran, including targeting all of the country's nuclear facilities, Israeli army spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said.
In a press conference, Defrin stated, "The Air Force is expanding its operations to strike deeper, including nuclear sites in Bushehr, Fordow, Natanz, and others. We have additional targets planned."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Iraqi News
30 minutes ago
- Iraqi News
Iran-Israel war: latest developments
Jerusalem – Israel and Iran exchanged fire again on Friday, a week into the war between the longtime enemies. Here are the latest developments: – Iran meetings – European top diplomats are meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva on Friday to discuss Iran's nuclear programme. 'I've received several phone calls reassuring me that the Zionist regime would not target' Araghchi en route to Geneva, his adviser Mohammad Reza Ranjbaran said on X. Foreign ministers from France, Germany, Britain and the EU are urging de-escalation, with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy saying the next two weeks are 'a window… to achieve a diplomatic solution'. Separately, the UN Security Council is also due to convene on Friday for a second session on the conflict, at Iran's request with support from Russia, China and Pakistan, a diplomat told AFP on Wednesday. – Overnight strikes – Israel's military said Friday it struck dozens of targets in Tehran overnight, including what it called a centre for the 'research and development of Iran's nuclear weapons project.' In an upscale neighbourhood of Tehran, some residents were looking out at the night sky from their rooftops, with red blasts lighting up the darkness, AFP journalists saw. In another area, an Iranian cried out through a loudspeaker, with music blasting in the background: 'Death to Israel, death to America!' Iran's Revolutionary Guards said more than 100 'combat and suicide' drones were launched at Israel on Thursday. – Trump waiting to decide – US President Donald Trump said Thursday he will decide whether to join Israel's strikes on Iran within the next two weeks as there is still a 'substantial' chance of negotiations to end the conflict. The Wall Street Journal reported Trump told aides he approved attack plans but is holding off to see if Iran will give up its nuclear programme. Tehran ally Moscow said any US military action 'would be an extremely dangerous step', while pro-Iran groups in Iraq threatened retaliatory attacks. Dozens of US military aircraft were no longer visible at a US base in Qatar on Thursday, satellite images showed — a possible move to shield them from potential Iranian strikes. – Iran's new intelligence chief – Iran appointed a new chief of intelligence at its Revolutionary Guards on Thursday, the official IRNA news agency said, after his predecessor was killed in an Israeli strike last week. Major General Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, appointed Brigadier General Majid Khadami as the new head of its intelligence division, IRNA said. He replaces Mohammed Kazemi, who was killed on Sunday alongside two other Revolutionary Guards officers — Hassan Mohaghegh and Mohsen Bagheri — in an Israeli strike. Ali Shamkhani, adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was in stable condition, state TV reported on Friday, after he was seriously injured last week. – Death toll – The body of a woman was recovered on Thursday from a building struck by an Iranian missile four days earlier, taking the overall death toll in Israel to 25 since the war began, according to Israeli authorities. Iran said Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. Authorities have not issued an updated toll since. – Arrests and blackout – Iranian police announced the arrest on Thursday of 24 people accused of spying for Israel. Authorities in both Israel and Iran have announced arrests for espionage and other charges since the war began on Friday. Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights said at least 223 people have been arrested nationwide on charges related to collaboration with Israel, cautioning that the actual figure was likely higher. Iran imposed a 'nationwide internet shutdown' on Thursday — the most extensive blackout since widespread anti-government protests in 2019 — internet watchdog NetBlocks said. The shutdown 'impacts the public's ability to stay connected at a time when communications are vital', NetBlocks wrote on X.


Shafaq News
35 minutes ago
- Shafaq News
Redrawing the map: How Iran–Israel war is reshaping the Middle East
Shafaq News/ Since the Hamas-led Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023, the Middle East has experienced an unrelenting chain of upheavals. What began as a sudden and devastating incursion into Israeli territory evolved into a regional conflagration, drawing in state and non-state actors, shaking the core of long-standing alliances, and dismantling the fragile stability that once defined the post-Arab Spring order. At the center of this transformation stand two arch-rivals: Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The escalation that erupted in June 2025 between Israel and Iran is not an anomaly, but the culmination of years of covert hostilities, diplomatic friction, and strategic miscalculations. The events now unfolding in open warfare—including cross-border missile strikes, drone swarms, and targeted assassinations—are radically reshaping the Middle East's power dynamics and redrawing the region's strategic map. For decades, Iran and Israel conducted their confrontation through proxy wars, espionage operations, and cyberattacks. Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen became arenas of indirect competition. Israel systematically targeted Iranian positions in Syria and covertly sabotaged elements of Tehran's nuclear and military infrastructure, while Iran, through its so-called "Axis of Resistance," leveraged Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iraqi factions to pressure Israeli and American interests. This dynamic persisted until the tectonic rupture of October 2023. Hamas' surprise attack on Israel—aided, according to Israeli and Western intelligence assessments, by Iranian logistical and strategic backing—reignited full-scale war in Gaza and set the stage for broader regional confrontation. Israel's overwhelming military response in Gaza led to tens of thousands of casualties, prompting Iran-aligned actors to escalate operations from Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq. By early 2024, Israel and Iran had entered a new phase: one of sustained, direct, though still largely deniable attacks. Israeli airstrikes intensified against Iranian commanders in Syria and Iraq, while suspected Mossad operations targeted nuclear scientists and IRGC personnel deep within Iranian territory. Iran, in turn, increased its support to regional players and expanded its drone and missile programs, preparing for a scenario where deterrence might fail. That failure came on June 13, 2025, when Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, striking multiple Iranian nuclear and military sites, including Natanz, Fordow, and Tehran. The operation resulted in the deaths of senior IRGC commanders, nuclear experts, and political figures. Iran's airspace was sealed, and retaliatory planning began immediately. 'This is not a spontaneous conflict,' said Dr. Haitham al-Hiti, professor of political science at the University of Exeter. 'It's part of a broader regional restructuring—starting with Hezbollah assassinations, now moving through Iran's command structure, and possibly reaching Iraq and Lebanon.' Iran's counter-operation, dubbed True Promise 3, marked a turn with Tehran directly fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Israeli territory. Civilian and military targets were hit in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Bat Yam, and the Gush Dan area. Israeli casualties surpassed two dozen, while Iran reported more than 200 fatalities from the initial strikes. Beyond the destruction, what sets this confrontation apart is its regional resonance. Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar launched urgent diplomatic initiatives. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned that the conflict could 'drag the entire region into the fire,' and began intensive phone diplomacy with key Arab and Iranian leaders. 'Israel's aggression could ignite a devastating regional war,' Erdogan said, noting the potential for refugee flows, economic collapse, and the collapse of security arrangements in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. Saudi Arabia, historically cautious in its dealings with Iran, sought to reclaim its role as a balancing force. A diplomatic source told Shafaq News, 'Riyadh is seeking to reclaim its place as a regional anchor, stepping into a mediation role once held by Qatar and Oman.' Yet these efforts have yielded little. The collapse of traditional deterrence and the erosion of international diplomatic credibility have allowed the military logic to dominate. The Muscat channel between Tehran and Washington was suspended. UN efforts were paralyzed by US veto power and a lack of consensus among major powers. 'The UN doesn't have the freedom to act without US approval,' said Lebanese analyst George Alam. 'That makes any international initiative vulnerable to paralysis.' Meanwhile, Iran has framed its retaliation as part of a broader realignment. 'These focused and retaliatory operations will continue until the Zionist entity is eliminated,' the IRGC declared after confirming the death of Brigadier General Mohammad Kazemi, head of its Intelligence Organization. Egyptian expert Mounir Adeeb emphasizes that the conflict has exposed the fragility of the global system, 'Major powers, led by the United States, were direct enablers of the Israeli strike,' he said. 'They turned a blind eye to violations of international law and allowed red lines to be crossed. The result was war.' Internally, Iran now faces the twin challenges of sustaining a long war and containing potential unrest. Kurdish movements in the northwest and Ahvazi activists in the southwest are reportedly organizing demonstrations amid the crisis. Israeli analysts speculate that continued strikes on Iranian infrastructure may be designed to exacerbate internal fractures. 'If Iran collapses internally or fragments,' warned Dr. al-Hiti, 'we could see the emergence of new secessionist waves—Kurdish independence, Ahvazi autonomy, even unrest in Iraq. That's how geopolitical maps change.' And while regional states seek to prevent such an outcome, the war has already forced governments to recalibrate. Iraq has condemned the use of its airspace by Israeli forces. Armed factions aligned with Tehran have threatened to target US bases if Washington intervenes. The Houthis have escalated strikes on Israeli interests in the Red Sea. Hezbollah has declared its full support for Iran. The consequences are not limited to military strategy. Oil prices have surged. International flights have been suspended across several countries. Diplomacy has stalled. Most importantly, a new regional paradigm is taking shape—one defined not by US-led alliances or post-ISIS stability, but by direct state conflict, multipolar competition, and the return of mass-scale confrontation. As the missiles continue to fall, one thing is increasingly clear: the Middle East is undergoing a strategic reordering. Whether this leads to a new balance of power or deeper fragmentation remains uncertain. What is certain, however, is that the rules have changed—and so has the map.


Shafaq News
35 minutes ago
- Shafaq News
Mass judicial exodus threatens Iraqi elections
Shafaq News/ Iraq is heading toward a constitutional crisis just months before parliamentary elections on November 11, 2025, as the mass resignation of Federal Supreme Court judges threatens to derail the electoral timeline, a top legal expert warned on Friday. Hazem al-Rudaini, Deputy Head of Iraq's Strategic Center for Human Rights (SCHR), cautioned that the resignations jeopardize the legal foundation of the election. 'It is constitutionally impossible to hold parliamentary elections without the Federal Supreme Court,' he said, pointing to Article 93(7) of the 2005 Constitution, which grants the Court sole authority to ratify election results. Nine judges, including six principal members, resigned Thursday in protest over political pressure, reportedly linked to the Court's 2023 ruling that annulled the 2013 Khor Abdullah maritime agreement with Kuwait. A judicial source told Shafaq News that the fallout from that decision triggered their departure. Members of the Parliamentary Legal Committee expressed alarm. MP Mohammed al-Khafaji described the resignations as 'deeply troubling,' while MP Raed al-Maliki accused political factions of hijacking the judiciary. 'The government and certain parties want to turn the Federal Court into a tool, all while claiming to protect national sovereignty,' he asserted. Al-Maliki criticized the broader 'failure' of Iraq's Shiite leadership to insulate institutions from political interference, warning that the situation sets a dangerous precedent and confirming that parliament is holding emergency consultations to safeguard judicial independence. The crisis stems from a September 2023 ruling in which the Court nullified Law No. 42 of 2013, invalidating Iraq's navigation agreement with Kuwait over the Khor Abdullah waterway. The Court ruled the law unconstitutional, claiming it lacked the two-thirds majority required under Article 61(4). In April 2025, Iraq's president and prime minister appealed the ruling, arguing the agreement covered maritime coordination—not border demarcation—and should fall under Iraq's obligations under the 1966 Vienna Convention.