2 important Al Mayadeen interviews with senior Iranian officials and the sinking of 2 ships in the Red Sea by the YAF
...and other updates from the Middle East.
Today we start with two interviews by Al Mayadeen with two senior Iranian officials. You will understand their importance shortly.
On Sunday 6th July 2025 Al Mayadeen interviewed Major General Rasoul Sanaei-Rad, Political Advisor to the Office of Ideological and Political Guidance of the Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces. This interview is quite noteworthy as it confirms what other analysts and I have been saying about the so-called “ceasefire” between Iran on one side and Israel and the Outlaw US Empire on the other. Here are some excerpts from Al Mayadeen Short News and this article (all emphasis mine):
"Israel" thought it could eliminate the regime.
Dividing Iran is part of the "New Middle East" plan.
[Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah] Sayyed [Ali] Khamenei stressed that we cannot surrender to bullying and said, "Iran is too big a bite to swallow."
What happened is a cessation of military operations, not a ceasefire. [This confirm the hypothesis advanced by myself (see my previous original article) and other analysts].
America intervened in the war when what "Israel" was doing became a "scandal".
If the [Israeli] entity commits any foolishness, it will receive a response greater than that it received during the 12 days of war.
If they commit another foolish act, they should expect destruction even greater than that in Khan Younis.
We possess a substantial reserve force, particularly in missile capabilities, prepared for a prolonged confrontation.
The Zionist entity's mistake was that it thought we did not have information about the targets we were striking.
We expected everything from the malicious entity, so we took the necessary steps and measures.
The Zionist enemy targeted scientific centers in Iran, but we were prepared and had removed our scientific documents prior to the attacks.
Our nuclear knowledge lies in the minds of our youth, and we have the expertise to make major advancements in the future.
On Monday 7th July 2025 Al Mayadeen interviewed Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, Deputy for Soft War Affairs and senior spokesperson for the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff. Here is what he said, as reported by Tasnim and Al Mayadeen in its Short News and in this article (all emphasis mine):
The US prepared all the measures on behalf of "Israel" prior to the targeting of our nuclear facilities.
Following the cessation of military operations, it must be said that we imposed the ceasefire after they received powerful blows from our forces.
We consider the US to be the primary party responsible for the aggression against Iran.
The enemies and this barbaric regime should understand that they are confronting one and a half billion Muslims who will never surrender.
During the 12 days of aggression, we made it clear that we would not initiate any attack and responded with crushing strikes against the enemies.
Over the course of 12 days, many security, military, and research centers in the Israeli entity were completely destroyed. [This is true, based on evidence that came out from Israel in form of photos and videos during the 12-day war and that is coming out now from OSINT (Open Source INTelligence) - see for instance this Telegraph report cited by Tasnim and summarized within my previous original article or my coverage of the 12-day war]
We inflicted significant damage on US forces at the Al Udeid base. [This is not true, based again on the evidence that came out from Doha (Qatar) in form of videos during the attack, not to mention the warnings/statements issued by US and UK embassies in Qatar beforehand - I briefly touched upon it at the end of this article]
If the enemies are honest and democratic as they claim, let them inform the world of their losses and what was destroyed.
Many of the losses they sustained are under a strict media blackout.
The information published by the United States and the Zionist entity about the true extent of their losses cannot be trusted. [Indeed. Why imposing military censorship, if you have nothing to hide? Iran admitted its losses at the beginning of the Israeli military operation against Iran; Israel to this day continues to minimize its losses]
The United States and the Zionists cannot be trusted, which is why we are determined to deliver a devastating response to any attempt at aggression […] even more destructive than before.
Bases in West Asia will bear the consequences if the United States or the Zionist entity attempt to violate the ceasefire.
The United States is primarily responsible for the war on Iran, and we warn it, its proxy, and all those who support them against launching any new aggression.
The Israeli army and US forces deployed across West Asia are within the range of our armed forces' firepower.
In the event of any mistake or act of aggression, we will cross all red lines.
Many Western countries rushed to send weapons to the [Israeli] entity after the end of its aggression against Iran.
Words like surrender or retreat do not exist in our books or dictionaries, and any aggression will be met with unforgettable blows.
All Iranians set aside their differences and united to confront the aggression.
Our scientists and engineers can manufacture state-of-the-art arms without foreign support.
We have many surprises that you will see on the ground.
[The Iranian armed forces] have used their capabilities wisely in this war.
All Muslims should take part in confronting this entity, as it will eventually target them too.
Hezbollah is an independent force defending its country, just like all resistance movements in the region.
It is clear from both these interviews that Iranian officials are signalling to both Israel and the Outlaw US Empire not to violate the “ceasefire” and attempt a new act of aggression against their country, unless they want to see the Zionist entity and/or the US bases in the Middle East “annihilated” (for real, not like the Iranian nuclear sites bombed by the Outlaw US Empire - see my article on this, in case you missed it).
It is also worth reporting the following statements issued last Monday by Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, special military advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, as quoted by Tasnim and Press TV:
The Zionists are aware that part of our forces, such as the Navy and the (IRGC1) Quds Force, have not still stepped in. Even the Army has not taken action with full strength.
We have produced several thousand missiles and drones so far, and their place is secure.
Peaceful nuclear energy and the manufacturing of missiles are the results of indigenous knowledge, intellect, and science.
[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] failed to achieve all his goals because the Islamic Republic was neither overthrown nor divided, and the people did not disperse. Although we suffered damage, we also inflicted damage on them (the Israelis).
You may have heard/read rumours or even statements by US President Donald J. Trump about Iran seeking negotiations, while Al Mayadeen reported yesterday (Tuesday 8th July 2025) that the “Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently reviewing a US request to resume nuclear negotiations informed sources told Mehr News Agency”; however, yesterday afternoon Iranian semi-official Tasnim News Agency quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying:
From our side, no request for a meeting has been made to the American side.
Remember: do not trust a single word coming out from that filthy mouth of Donald J. Trump. After all, last week he said that he was stopping all aid to Ukraine, only to renege on it a few days later, as reported by Larry C. Johnson in this post on his blog. That’s why I ignore most of his statements: they are rubbish, as Iranian officials have finally acknowledged.
In another article yesterday evening, Al Mayadeen reported the following statement by the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh regarding negotiations with the Outlaw US Empire and European countries:
Negotiations require a minimum level of trust, and the blatant aggression against Iran has practically left no room for it.
[We were] in the middle of negotiations [when the Iranian attack took place and] we were also in talks with the Europeans at the time of the American strike.
…while Esmaeil Baghaei was quoted as saying:
Iran's trust in the American side has been deeply damaged. There is absolutely no trust.
I bet it! Iran’d better ignore any request for negotiations from any US administration, especially this one (Trump’s).
Similarly, in an opinion piece on the Financial Times published yesterday and summarized here by Al Mayadeen, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated:
How can we trust further engagement?
We were on the cusp of a historic breakthrough [with the US].
But only 48 hours before a pivotal sixth meeting, Israel launched an unprovoked assault [on Iran].
Our commitment to acting responsibly to avoid a full-scale regional war should not be misinterpreted as weakness. We will defeat any future attack on our people.
For diplomacy to succeed, it must be built on mutual respect.
Iranians will never agree to surrender. Iran is a millennia-old civilisation that has overcome countless invasions, emerging stronger each time.
Will the US finally choose diplomacy? Or will it remain ensnared in someone else’s war?
Moving to Yemen, the country was subjected to at least 20 Israeli airstrikes in the early hours of Monday, mostly in the city of Hodeidah and targeting the ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Issa, as well as the Ras Qatif power station and the Galaxy Leader vessel, linked to Israel and captured by the YAF (Yemeni Armed Forces) on 19th November 2023, as per Saba and Al Mayadeen, the latter of which also quoted Yemeni military sources as saying that their air defenses managed to force “10 Israeli aircraft out of Yemeni airspace before they could carry out their attacks” by launching a first wave of surface-to-air missiles (see also this Saba article).
However, the YAF did not just defend its own country, but Monday morning it proceeded with a counterattack. As announced by YAF spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree and reported by Saba and Al Mayadeen, “missile and UAV2 forces carried out a joint military operation using eleven missiles and drones” targeting:
Lod (Ben Gurion) Airport in Yafa (Tel Aviv) with a "Palestine 2" hypersonic ballistic missile,
the Ashdod Port with a hypersonic ballistic missile,
the Ashkelon power station with a hypersonic ballistic missile,
the Umm al-Rashrash (Eilat) Port using eight drones.
Monday afternoon the YAF claimed the attack launched against the Magic Seas vessel, a Greek-owned Liberia-flagged ship, in the Red Sea the day before (Sunday 6th July 2025), as it “violated the entry ban to the ports of occupied Palestine” and its crew rejected all calls and warnings issued by the YAF naval forces, as per Saba and Al Mayadeen. The military operation, carried out by missile and UAV forces of the YAF, involved the use of 2 unmanned boats, 5 ballistic and cruise missiles, and 3 drones. As described by Yahya Saree, quoted by Saba…
The results of the operation were as follows:
The ship sustained a direct hit, water leaked into it, and is now at risk of sinking.
Our forces allowed the crew to safely disembark.
Then yesterday the Yemeni Military Media released exclusive footage showing how the YAF targeted, boarded, mined and sank of the Magic Seas vessel, after issuing several warnings, all of them ignored by the crew, as reported by Al Mayadeen - watch the ~5-minute video below:
Earlier today, the YAF announced the execution of another naval military operation in a metter of a few days, this time targeting the the cargo ship ETERNITY C on its way to the occupied port of Umm al-Rashrash (Eilat) with one drone boat and 6 cruise missiles, again because the crew “disregarded repeated warnings from the Yemeni navy prohibiting entry into ports of occupied Palestine”, as per Al Mayadeen and Saba, with the YAF confirming the sinking of the ship and the rescuing of the crew, who received medical care and was transferred to a safe location.
[UPDATE] Here is a video, shared by the Yemeni Military Media, showing the targeting and sinking of the ETERNITY C vessel (see also this Al Mayadeen article):
A few more disparate items:
the IDF (Israel “Defense” Forces) arrested Nasser al-Lahham, director of Al Mayadeen’s bureau in occupied Palestine in pre-dawn raid on his home in Beit Lahm, southern West Bank, last Monday - see this Al Mayadeen article for additional information.
Moving to Israel, its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been facing quite a few issues in the last few days:
the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) parties boycotted last Monday’s Knesset plenum session “in protest of the absence of legislation granting military service exemptions for yeshiva students”, as per Al Mayadeen, citing Israeli media, such as Israel Hayom, Channel 12 and The Times of Israel;
his recently appointed spokesman, Ziv Agmon, “is facing suspension by the Israel Bar Association’s disciplinary court following a ruling that he violated the duty of loyalty to a client and acted in a manner unbecoming of a lawyer” (source: Al Mayadeen, citing Israeli media);
his office and bureau at the military compound in the Kirya in Tel Aviv have been evacuated and will be unusable for ~4 months as the building undergoes major renovations, as reported by Al Mayadeen, citing the Israeli Walla! Something tells me that they were badly damaged during the 12-days war with Iran…
military losses in Gaza, as Hamas ambushes more and more IDF troops (source: Al Mayadeen).
Steve Witkoff, US special envoy to the Middle East, announced that negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza “have reached a point of convergence, noting, that there were four key issues at the start but now only one remains” and that “that by the end of the week, an agreement could be finalized that would establish a 60-day ceasefire, adding that the deal includes the release of 10 living Israeli captives and the return of 9 bodies over the course of the 60-day period”, as per Al Mayadeen. However, do not hold your breath. We know very well how quickly Great Satan (a.k.a. the Outlaw US Empire) and Little Satan (a.k.a. Israel) break their promises and ceasefires!
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
"We expected everything from the malicious entity, so we took the necessary steps and measures."
Let's hope so. Evil imagination is ever perverse.
These statements are perfectly understandable, and I'd take them seriously if I was Israeli or American.