Latest news with #Herzog
The Irish Sun
20 hours ago
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Israel's President calls out Starmer for ‘sitting on fence' and says Europe is next in line for Mullahs' missiles
ISRAEL's president last night accused Britain of 'sitting on the fence' as his nation fights for its life against Iran. Embattled Isaac Herzog said it was 5 Sir Keir Starmer's government has been accused of 'sitting on the fence' Credit: EPA 5 Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini Credit: Getty 5 Destruction in Israel after Iranian missile strikes Credit: AP And he told The Sun that Iran's missiles of mass destruction could one day be trained on the UK. In an exclusive interview at the presidential palace in Jerusalem, he said: 'There are things Britain cannot turn a blind eye to. It's obvious. 'And I think the British leadership should not only look at demonstrations or comments. We have to show them clear moral clarity. 'We are fighting the war that will protect Britain in the foreseeable future.' READ MORE ON ISRAEL CONFLICT Mr Herzog, a moderate political figure on the left of Israeli politics, added: 'You ask yourself, why would "Why? If London is not an enemy, then why? That is the question that needs to be asked.' He spoke out as Donald Trump, who has moved battleships and aircraft towards the Middle East warzone, last night appeared to give The Israel-backing US President, who yesterday signed off on a plan believed to involve ordering B-2 stealth bombers to wipe out Iran's surviving nuclear plant, said: 'I will make my decision whether or not to 'go' within the next two weeks.' Most read in The Sun Mr Trump, who has demanded Iran's immediate 'unconditional surrender' said he based his decision on the fact there was a 'substantial chance of negotiations' with Iran in the near future. President Herzog, 64, hit out as Keir Starmer's Labour government continued to fight shy of commitments to back ally Israel's war with the rogue terror state. Trump gives Iran two-week ultimatum before attack but Israel 'won't wait long' before bombing Fordow nuclear plant RAF Typhoon jets have been moved to a UK base in Cyprus but the PM and his Foreign Secretary Sir Keir yesterday again urged all parties to back off as Britain prepared to enter crisis talks in Geneva with Iran. He said: 'The continuation of the current situation is in no-one's interest. We want to see cool heads and a return to diplomacy because that is the best route forward.' The UK has sanctioned two far-Right Israeli ministers over 'incitements of violence against Palestinian communities' in the occupied West Bank. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich will be banned from entering the UK and will have any assets in the UK frozen. Mr Herzog spoke of his respect for British values as he poured out his frustration yesterday. The nation's figurehead, a political opponent of strongman PM Benjamin Netanyahu, let rip during a 20-minute defence of Israel's 'existential' war with Iran. And he spoke of his enduring pride in his father, late Israeli president Chaim Herzog, who was an officer in the British Army and battled the Nazis in World War II. He said: 'My father, you know, he was really a war hero in World War Two. 5 Israel's President warned Iran's missiles of mass destruction could one day be trained on the UK 5 Israel President Isaac Herzog spoke of his respect for British values as he poured out his frustration Credit: Doug Seeburg 'He was very proud of the fact that he served in the British Army. He saw the worst of atrocities when he fought the Nazis and liberated the concentration camps. And we always believed, and I always believed, in the uniqueness of the British parliamentary system.' Mr Herzog went on to warn Britain that Iran must be stopped, and that Israel was at a now or never moment when there had never been a better time to end the terror from Iran and its proxies such as Hezbollah and the Houthis. He told The Sun: 'Ask yourself, why would a small tribe of 50,000 Yemenite Houthis receive ballistic missiles and cruise missiles? Ballistic missiles is something only empires have. It's all planned and arranged by Iran. It's a war machine planned against us. 'But, truly, the next ones in line are the Europeans and the 'infidels' as they call them. 'So let's not delude ourselves and let's all join together in identifying the national security risks of all these nations who have to stand up to Iran and say, 'No more'. 'Enough with your terror cells, enough with your jihadist cells, enough with your proxies and enough with your nuclear programme. 'We are defending Europe' 'It's now or never. Iran went on procrastinating for decades and decades and there were all sorts of windows of opportunity. 'Each time they told us, 'OK, let's give it a chance . . . let's have an agreement. Let them do X or Y'. 'But underneath, they had covert operations of lying. Their covert operation threatens Middle East stability and world stability. That's what people don't get. 'They love to criticise Israel automatically. But we are defending the West. We are defending Europe.' Mr Herzog saluted German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for his recent show of support as he urged Sir Keir Starmer to follow suit. And he called on the people of Iran to rise up against terror stoking Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini in his nation's strongest call yet for regime change. He told The Sun: 'The chancellor of 'He said Israel is doing the dirty work for us. It's true. 'We are here at the frontier of a clash of civilisational values vis-à-vis jihadists. That's what we are dealing with. The world, for 80 years, has made clear that nuclear capabilities are the most dangerous thing if they are linked with an extreme, cruel, jihadist ideology. Isaac Herzog 'I trust President Trump. I think he sees it lucidly. I don't want to go into bombastic declarations but I think that he sees things correctly and my message to the people of Iran is very clear, 'We do not seek war but this war is your opportunity to uprise and bring change in your country. Totally uprise and change direction'. 'It's not one of our main plans or aims, but it is a major, major side-effect of our campaign. Our prime minister and our executive branch, they're taking care of it.' Referring to Ali Khameini, he said: 'It is clear that the leader of this war machine of terror, of atrocities, he himself is in charge of everything. 'He's taking billions of dollars off his own people from their food to spend on this terrible machine of cruelty. The world has to stand up to him once and for all.' Mr Herzog said he trusted Donald Trump to end Iran's reign of terror across the Middle East but said Israel's military had the power and the guile to win the war solo. Asked if his military could go it alone, he told The Sun: 'Israel can. It has many capabilities. We haven't shown everything yet. 'And we are very cautious in commenting about President Trump's considerations or decision-making process. We respect him immensely and we leave it up to him to take the historic decision. 'What we're doing is strictly in line with national security interests of all these major countries — all the G7 countries. 'We are showing our ingenuity and capabilities. We have a lot in stock. I don't want to brag about it. 'I met pilots yesterday who flew 2,300 kilometres and destroyed armaments that were aimed at us. 'And now they hit the Arak nuclear plantation and other places. That's a huge achievement. 'The world, for 80 years, has made clear that nuclear capabilities are the most dangerous thing if they are linked with an extreme, cruel, jihadist ideology.' The president said he hoped for an historic change, possibly within the next seven days, as Israel's vast military operation continued. He said: 'I sincerely hope that there will be a different balance that will block Iran, make clear that they cannot go on with that nasty, terrible game of theirs all over the world and in the region. 'They cannot threaten Israel's existence and move to the bomb — it's clear — and that is our aim.'
Scottish Sun
21 hours ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Iran launched DELIBERATE missile blitz on Israeli hospital but patients were moved at the last minute, president reveals
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BABIES were among hundreds of hospital patients who cheated death when an Iranian missile blitzed an Israeli hospital, the nation's president told The Sun. Isaac Herzog revealed that the chiefs decided to move critical care units into a basement bunker just hours before the terrorist regime 'deliberately targeted' the hospital. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 14 Smoke rises from Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba, Israel Credit: Reuters 14 The hospital was damaged following a missile strike from Iran Credit: Reuters 14 Firefighters work in a building of the Soroka hospital complex after it was hit by a missile fired from Iran in Beersheba, Israel Credit: AP 14 A view of the damage is seen from the inside Credit: Getty 14 Sun Foreign Editor Nick Parker speaks to Israeli President Herzog at the Presidential Palace in Jerusalem Credit: Doug Seeburg And in an exclusive interview with The Sun, the embattled Israeli leader branded his fanatic enemy 'disgusting and horrendous' as the Middle East conflict raged on. Appalled Mr Herzog, 64, vented his outrage at the presidential palace in Jerusalem after visiting shocked patients and staff at Soroka Hospital in the southern city of Beersheba. A huge explosion early today sent a mushroom cloud over the complex and set the roof on fire as terrified patients cowered in makeshift basement wards. They had been moved there just hours earlier by hospital chiefs as Iran's Islamist regime fired a barrage of 30 ballistic missiles from more than 1,000 miles away. Tensions rise Middle East REACTOR BLAST Iran's nuke reactor destroyed as shock satellite pic shows gaping hole Mr Herzog told The Sun: 'I was there this morning following the destruction by an Iranian missile - straight on the hospital where people were in treatment. 'The director general of the hospital decided only last night to remove all the units above ground to underground. 'They would have been killed for sure, because you see the building was totally demolished.' Mr Herzog said Soroka tends to two million patients every year, treating Israelis, Palestinians and sick and injured people from nearby Gaza. He paid tribute to the resilience of medics yesterday while revealing his shock at the scale of the damage. Mr Herzog said: 'Glass was strewn all over the place - windows and doors - total devastation, but I went underground and the hospital functions beautifully. Trump 'has APPROVED Iran attack plans & is ready to give orders' as Israel 'strikes reactor' & Tehran hits hospital 'Professor Mahmoud Abu Shakra, a great Israeli Muslim, was leading the emergency care unit underground. 'That's Israel for you. We have immense resilience. And we will recover, we will rebuild, and we will move on. 'It shows how cruel the Iranians are - the emergency care units full of babies were there, and this missile was aimed directly at the hospital. 'It was deliberate - we know it because we have intelligence. 'We know that they are carrying out crimes against humanity and war crimes all the time. 'They decided to harass us. They want to drive us crazy, so they send those missiles, but they get us wrong because we are a very strong nation, and we know how exposed they are. 'They are making a huge mistake.' 14 Herzog vented his outrage at the presidential palace in Jerusalem after visiting shocked patients and staff at Soroka Hospital Credit: Doug Seeburg 14 A view of the damage is seen at Soroka Medical Centre after it was hit by a missile launched from Iran during retaliatory strikes in Beersheba Credit: Getty 14 A view of the Soroka Medical Centre after the strike Credit: AP 14 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands amid debris outside the Soroka Hospital Credit: AFP 14 Mr Herzog rejected comparisons to Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza and insisted medical sites in the besieged enclave were targeted because terror bases were hidden beneath them. He said: 'All the aid that went into Gaza from Western countries, from us, by the way, too - all that money went to build a terror infrastructure of the worst kind. 'That was deployed on October 7th - and it's all in tunnels out there, which are full of ammunition and our hostages.' Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz raged that evil Iranian kingpin Ayatollah Ali Khamenei must die after the missile struck the hospital. He said: "Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed – he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals. 'He considers the destruction of the state of Israel to be a goal, 'Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist.' 14 Smoke billows from Soroka Hospital in Beersheba in southern Israel Credit: AFP 14 BEERSHEBA, ISRAEL – JUNE 19: A view of the destruction after an Iranian missile hits Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, Israel on June 19, 2025. (Photo by Tsafrir Abayov/Anadolu via Getty Images) Credit: Getty 14 Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz raged that evil Iranian kingpin Ayatollah Ali Khamenei must die Credit: AFP Katz's threat was echoed by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Israel was ready to "remove" the nuclear threat from Iran. Asked during a visit to bombed Soroka Hospital if Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was a potential target, Netanyahu said: "No one is immune.' "By the end of this operation, there will be no nuclear threat to Israel, nor will there be a ballistic missile threat.' It comes as Iran warned the US will be sparking an "all-out war" in the Middle East if they join Israel in dropping bombs on Iranian nuclear sites. The US president is yet to say if he will directly launch an attack, but is reportedly considering striking Iran's key underground nuclear site in the coming days. Trump has become heavily involved in the conflict over the last 72 hours. When asked about US bombing Iran, he said: "I may do it, I may not do it." It is believed that the US may choose to back Israeli strikes on Iran's Fordow nuclear development area. Will Trump strike Iran? By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter DONALD Trump is all but poised to join Israel's campaign of bombing Iran as they both seek to obliterate Tehran's nuclear program. The White House said on Thursday that Trump will decide on whether the US will get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict in the next two weeks. It comes as Tel Aviv has been carrying out air strikes targeting various nuclear and military facilities in Tehran and other parts of Iran. The goal, as they say, is to thwart the Iranian regime's efforts to produce nuclear weapons. The Trump administration previously said it had no plans to join the conflict. However, winds in Washington began blowing the other way after Trump cut short his G7 visit in Canada and said he needed to focus on the Middle East. And has repeatedly insisted it was not to pursue peace talks with Iran "in any way, shape or form" - a stark shift in his previous policy of striking up a nuclear deal. Don also went on to share a slew of posts on Truth Social suggesting he may be considering strikes against Iran. He wrote: "Our patience is wearing thin," before calling out Tehran for an unconditional surrender. Trump also called for an emergency situation room meeting yesterday with his top Washington aides, though details of those meetings have not yet been revealed. But Trump's statements, coupled with America's military movements, suggest the US forces may soon strike Iran. As Trump rushed back to meet his National Security Council, he vowed he was chasing something "better than a ceasefire", which would force Iran into a "complete give up". He refused to specify the endgame, but ominously warned: "You're going to find out over the next few days." A spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry said that a US intervention in the Middle East would be "a recipe for all-out war in the region. This would likely be done by a fearsome 15-ton mega bomb known as a Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb that can penetrate deep inside the ground before blowing up. Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office Trump did say the US is the only nation capable of blitzing the key nuke site. But he added: "That doesn't mean I'm going to do it - at all." Trump also gave a two-word warning to Iran's Supreme Leader after he revealed Tehran was trying to run back to the negotiating table since the conflict broke out. 14 When a White House reporter asked Trump about Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's declaration that he will "never surrender", Trump simply responded: "Good luck." Trump even stepped up his rhetoric towards Khamenei as he said the US knows where he is hiding but will not kill him 'for now'. Khamenei responded to the constant threats by saying: "The battle begins." He warned that the US will face hell if it enters the war and drops a single bomb on Tehran. 'This nation will never surrender,' Khamenei said in a speech read on state television. 'America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage.'
The Irish Sun
21 hours ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Iran launched DELIBERATE missile blitz on Israeli hospital but patients were moved at the last minute, president reveals
BABIES were among hundreds of hospital patients who cheated death when an Iranian missile blitzed an Israeli hospital, the nation's president told The Sun. Isaac Herzog revealed that the chiefs decided to move critical care units into a basement bunker just hours before the terrorist regime 'deliberately targeted' the hospital. 14 Smoke rises from Soroka Medical Centre in Beersheba, Israel Credit: Reuters 14 The hospital was damaged following a missile strike from Iran Credit: Reuters 14 Firefighters work in a building of the Soroka hospital complex after it was hit by a missile fired from Iran in Beersheba, Israel Credit: AP 14 A view of the damage is seen from the inside Credit: Getty 14 Sun Foreign Editor Nick Parker speaks to Israeli President Herzog at the Presidential Palace in Jerusalem Credit: Doug Seeburg And in an exclusive interview with The Sun, the embattled Israeli leader Appalled Mr Herzog, 64, vented his outrage at the presidential palace in Jerusalem after visiting shocked patients and staff at Soroka Hospital in the southern city of Beersheba. A huge explosion early today sent a mushroom cloud over the complex and set the roof on fire as terrified patients cowered in makeshift basement wards. They had been moved there just hours earlier by hospital chiefs as Tensions rise Middle East Mr Herzog told The Sun: 'I was there this morning following the destruction by an Iranian missile - straight on the hospital where people were in treatment. 'The director general of the hospital decided only last night to remove all the units above ground to underground. 'They would have been killed for sure, because you see the building was totally demolished.' Mr Herzog said Soroka tends to two million patients every year, treating Israelis, Palestinians and sick and injured people from nearby Gaza. Most read in The US Sun He paid tribute to the resilience of medics yesterday while revealing his shock at the scale of the damage. Mr Herzog said: 'Glass was strewn all over the place - windows and doors - total devastation, but I went underground and the hospital functions beautifully. Trump 'has APPROVED Iran attack plans & is ready to give orders' as Israel 'strikes reactor' & Tehran hits hospital 'Professor Mahmoud Abu Shakra, a great Israeli Muslim, was leading the emergency care unit underground. 'That's Israel for you. We have immense resilience. And we will recover, we will rebuild, and we will move on. 'It shows how cruel the Iranians are - the emergency care units full of babies were there, and this missile was aimed directly at the hospital. 'It was deliberate - we know it because we have intelligence. 'We know that they are carrying out crimes against humanity and war crimes all the time. 'They decided to harass us. They want to drive us crazy, so they send those missiles, but they get us wrong because we are a very strong nation, and we know how exposed they are. 'They are making a huge mistake.' 14 Herzog vented his outrage at the presidential palace in Jerusalem after visiting shocked patients and staff at Soroka Hospital Credit: Doug Seeburg 14 A view of the damage is seen at Soroka Medical Centre after it was hit by a missile launched from Iran during retaliatory strikes in Beersheba Credit: Getty 14 A view of the Soroka Medical Centre after the strike Credit: AP 14 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands amid debris outside the Soroka Hospital Credit: AFP 14 Mr Herzog rejected comparisons to Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza and insisted medical sites in the besieged enclave were targeted because terror bases were hidden beneath them. He said: 'All the aid that went into Gaza from Western countries, from us, by the way, too - all that money went to build a terror infrastructure of the worst kind. 'That was deployed on October 7th - and it's all in tunnels out there, which are full of ammunition and our hostages.' Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz raged that evil Iranian kingpin Ayatollah Ali Khamenei must die after the missile struck the hospital. He said: "Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed – he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals. 'He considers the destruction of the state of Israel to be a goal, 'Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist.' 14 Smoke billows from Soroka Hospital in Beersheba in southern Israel Credit: AFP 14 BEERSHEBA, ISRAEL – JUNE 19: A view of the destruction after an Iranian missile hits Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, Israel on June 19, 2025. (Photo by Tsafrir Abayov/Anadolu via Getty Images) Credit: Getty 14 Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz raged that evil Iranian kingpin Ayatollah Ali Khamenei must die Credit: AFP Katz's threat was echoed by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Israel was ready to "remove" the nuclear threat from Iran . Asked during a visit to bombed Soroka Hospital if Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was a potential target , Netanyahu said: "No one is immune.' "By the end of this operation, there will be no nuclear threat to Israel, nor will there be a ballistic missile threat.' It comes as Iran warned the The US president is yet to say if he will directly launch an attack, but is reportedly considering striking Iran's key underground nuclear site in the coming days. Trump has become heavily involved in the conflict over the last 72 hours. When asked about US bombing Iran, he said: "I may do it, I may not do it." It is believed that the US may choose to back Israeli strikes on Iran's Fordow nuclear development area. Will Trump strike Iran? By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter DONALD Trump is all but poised to join Israel's campaign of bombing Iran as they both seek to obliterate Tehran's nuclear program. The White House said on Thursday that Trump will decide on whether the US will get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict in the next two weeks. It comes as Tel Aviv has been carrying out air strikes targeting various nuclear and military facilities in Tehran and other parts of Iran. The goal, as they say, is to thwart the Iranian regime's efforts to produce nuclear weapons. The Trump administration previously said it had no plans to join the conflict. However, winds in Washington began blowing the other way after Trump cut short his G7 visit in Canada and said he needed to focus on the Middle East. And has repeatedly insisted it was not to pursue peace talks with Iran "in any way, shape or form" - a stark shift in his previous policy of striking up a nuclear deal. Don also went on to share a slew of posts on Truth Social suggesting he may be considering strikes against Iran. He wrote: "Our patience is wearing thin," before calling out Tehran for an unconditional surrender. Trump also called for an emergency situation room meeting yesterday with his top Washington aides, though details of those meetings have not yet been revealed. But Trump's statements, coupled with America's military movements, suggest the US forces may soon strike Iran. As Trump rushed back to meet his National Security Council, he vowed he was chasing something "better than a ceasefire", which would force Iran into a "complete give up". He refused to specify the endgame, but ominously warned: "You're going to find out over the next few days." A spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry said that a US intervention in the Middle East would be "a recipe for all-out war in the region. This would likely be done by a fearsome 15-ton mega bomb known as a Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office Trump did say the US is the only nation capable of blitzing the key nuke site. But he added: "That doesn't mean I'm going to do it - at all." Trump also gave a two-word warning to Iran's Supreme Leader after he revealed Tehran was trying to run back to the negotiating table since the conflict broke out. 14 When a Trump even stepped up his rhetoric towards Khamenei as he said the US knows where he is hiding but will not kill him 'for now'. Khamenei responded to the constant threats by saying: "The battle begins." He warned that the US will face hell if it enters the war and drops a single bomb on Tehran. 'This nation will never surrender,' Khamenei said in a speech read on state television. 'America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage.'
Egypt Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Iran strikes Soroka Medical Center, one of Israel's largest hospitals treating soldiers
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, commenting on Thursday's targeting of Soroka Hospital by Iran, declared the incident to be a 'war crime and a crime against humanity,' vowing it would not deter Israel's actions, according to international media reports. Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Herzog's remarks, where he lauded Soroka Hospital, hit by Iranian shelling, as 'among Israel's finest medical facilities.' He highlighted the 'dedicated staff, united in their efforts to preserve lives,' adding, 'We profoundly remember the magnitude of this moment and the principles of humanity and civilization under assault by a jihadist regime intent on our destruction.' Notably, soldiers participating in the ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip—an operation that has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians, predominantly women and children—are receiving medical care at Soroka Hospital. Iran's Fars News Agency, an outlet closely associated with the Revolutionary Guard, claimed the attacks were directed at the Israeli military's Central Command for Communications, Control, and Intelligence. The agency specified that these targets are located next to the military hospital, explaining why Soroka was exposed to the blast wave. This marks the seventh consecutive day that areas within Israel have been subjected to Iranian attacks. These recent barrages, involving dozens of Iranian missiles, are described as the most intense within a 48-hour period, according to Israel's Channel 12 and the occupation army's radio.
Euronews
a day ago
- Politics
- Euronews
EU divided over Israel's right to bomb Iran
Divisions over the justification for Israel's attack on Iran last Friday are set to surface among ambassadors in Brussels on Thursday, stymying EU attempts at finding a common response to the crisis, according to sources Euronews has spoken to. "It's definitely an issue that is being discussed - what is the extent to which this right of self-defence is acceptable," one source said. The EU issued a statement on Saturday calling 'on all sides to abide by international law, show restraint and refrain from taking further steps which could lead to serious consequences such as potential radioactive release'. Sources close to the discussion say a "major" part of the deliberations among member states was whether the EU should state 'Israel has a right to defend itself' in the context of its attacks against Iran. Around 15 member states including Austria, Czechia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy and the Netherlands wanted to add the line but it was not agreed unanimously. Several other countries felt there wasn't sufficient evidence that Israel has the right under international law to launch its offensive against Iran. Under international law, and the UN Charter, a state may exercise its right to self-defence in case of an armed attack or imminent attack. Any necessary action should also be proportionate. Israel says its series of strikes are pre-emptive moves to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. The issue is set to be discussed by ambassadors in Brussels on Thursday and is an agenda item for next week's EU summit of heads of state and government. Draft conclusions for that summit seen by Euronews currently contain no wording in respect of the EU Council's position on the Israel-Iran conflict. Meanwhile, EU sources told Euronews they were "surprised" by a tweet from the Commission President announcing implicit support for Israel's attacks against Tehran. The message from Ursula von der Leyen went further than the agreed statement of the European Council, which is the arm of the EU with the authority to conduct foreign policy. Ursula von der Leyen tweeted 'Spoke with President Herzog concerning the escalating situation in the Middle East. I reiterated Israel's right to defend itself and protect its people'. 'There was no consensus on saying Israel has a right to defend itself but Von der Leyen said it anyway,' another diplomatic source told Euronews. 'She saw the agreed language and then made her own statement,' they said. 'It was disheartening to be honest,' said the diplomat. 'These countries like Iran – as bad as they are don't simply submit when they're attacked like this, and what comes next will be so much worse even if there is regime change in Iran,' said this source, adding: 'And then when two or three million Iranians turn up on Europe's door they'll say we can't deal with this migration crisis." 'Member states which are critical of Israel said they thought Israeli attacks on Iran were irresponsible, but a large group is on board with von der Leyen's statement," said another diplomat. 'We would say that's a question for legal scholars – there is no judgement on that yet,' the diplomat responded, when asked if their government believed the war against Iran to be within the provisions of international law. Former International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohammad El Baradei claimed in a post on X that Israeli 'suspicion does not constitute an imminent threat', and that Israel's attack on nuclear facilities was illegal under international law. 'The president has made her position clear, her position has already been taken quite clearly by the G7 leaders statement on the developments in the region," von der Leyen's spokesperson said when asked about the difference between the official statement of the EU and that of the Commission president. 'She also communicated on social media stressing the fact that Israel has the right to defend itself and Iran is the main source of tension in the region,' said Stefan de Keersmaecker on Wednesday. The EU regards Iran as major destabilising influence in the European continent through its military support of Russia. Iran has been supplying Shahed drones to Russia since the start of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to the Ukrainian army. Meanwhile the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has since reiterated the official EU position for a diplomatic resolution to the Israel-Iran war. And again called on all sides to 'abide by international law, and de-escalate the situation'. She tweeted on Wednesday that 'Israel has the right to defend itself in line with international law.' The first parliamentary session in Spain since a top aide of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was implicated in a corruption scandal took place on Wednesday. The session quickly turned chaotic with various lawmakers calling on Sánchez to resign as political pressure mounts against him. People's Party (PP) lawmakers banged their seats and shouted "Resignation, resignation!" The scene orchestrated by Santiago Abascal, leader of the far-right Vox party, who left the chamber without listening to Sánchez, and staring at him with contempt as he passed by. 'You are indecent. And not even your supporters have any doubt about that. All of Spain knows it. You are corrupt and a traitor,' said Abascal before leaving the chamber. The Spanish premier chose to deploy an offensive tactic as he referenced corruption cases linked with other parties. Sánchez spoke of the Gürtel case, which implicated hundreds of PP officers, some who subsequently resigned, with corruption, including bribery, money laundering and tax evasion. The PP parliamentary caucus erupted and the situation quickly turned chaotic, with Parliament Speaker Francina Armengol struggling to control the session. 'You are a president deeply trapped in a corruption scheme. No matter how much you disguise it, you are not the victim. The victims are the Spanish people,' said Alberto Núñez Feijóo, President of the PP. 'You came to say you won't call elections because you would lose them. You don't have to save the Spanish people from themselves; the Spanish people have to save themselves from you, and they await your resignation letter,' he added. Sánchez then said that the only thing he's going to address are the PP corruption cases, which are set to be tried in the coming months. Sánchez has completely changed his tone, moving from last week's apology to a coordinated offensive against the opposition PP and Vox. The Spanish leader believes they lack the legitimacy to speak about corruption given their serious graft cases. The difference, as Sánchez notes, is that the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) acts as soon as there are signs, while the PP and Vox cover up corruption. Sánchez attempted to steer the session away from the PSOE's corruption case, but to no avail. The last few days have been very tense since audio recordings were released by Spanish police last week. The tapes confirmed that the third highest ranking PSOE official who's since resigned, Santos Cerdán, was involved in an illegal scheme which saw him take kickbacks in return for awarding public work contracts. Cerdan has denied any wrongdoing.
