Iran bans IAEA and its head Rafael Grossi and issues new warning to the Zionists
...while the latter grapple with destruction and missile launches by the YAF + Speeches by Ansar Allah leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi and Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem.
Hello again. After a busy period, here I am again with my own article. Though still quite occupied, I should be able to post at least a couple of articles per week and even a few more translations than the last couple of weeks. Let’s now review recent events.
After the US bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites and the Iranian response (which I covered here), a “ceasefire” took place between Iran on one side and Israel and the Outlaw US Empire on the other, after a few remote fire exchanges between the two countries in the Middle East. I will not provide an analysis of this “ceasefire”, as I have seen quite a few analyses of it (see for instance this one by Peter Haenseler on Larry C. Johnson’s blog). I will just say that I agree with analysts saying that this “ceasefire”, not formalized and actually imposed by US President Donald J. Trump on the two warring parties, is more of a pause of a conflict that may resume at any time; a pause that was badly needed by Israel, which was getting battered by Iranian missiles as its air defence munitions dwindled, not to mention the fact that the multiple air defence systems proved ineffective against the Iranian missile barrages! I also fear that the next round of attacks by Little Satan (a.k.a. Israel) and Great Satan (a.k.a. the Outlaw US Empire) against Iran may see the use of nuclear weapons, since it has become evident that the US bombing of the three Iranian nuclear sites did not achieve its intended purpose (stop Iranian nuclear research and destroy the Iranian stock of enriched uranium), actually quite the opposite (Iranian nuclear research is continuing, maybe even towards building an atomic bomb as a deterrent, and the location of ~600 kg of enriched uranium is now unknown).
Subsequently, last week Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian Parliament, announced that Iranian lawmakers “had enacted a law mandating the suspension of cooperation with the IAEA, which he described as ‘Israel’s protector and servant’”, after which, earlier this week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a decree suspending Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), as reported by Al Mayadeen.
It should not be a surprise then that today Ebrahim Amir Rasouli, political advisor to Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that IAEA chief Rafael Grossi is not welcome in Iran anymore (emphasis added):
Grossi has betrayed the agency’s trust by sharing sensitive data, including the names of our nuclear scientists, with the Zionist entity.
Iran will not permit Grossi to set foot on its soil again.We are in our best condition. And if the enemy makes a foolish move, we are ready to teach them a harsh lesson from the first moment.
…as reported by Al Mayadeen, which also quoted Hamid Reza Haji Babaei, Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, as saying:
We will no longer give Grossi permission to be present at [Iran's] nuclear facilities and install cameras [there] because we saw information about our facilities in documents received from ... the Israeli regime.
It is also worth reporting that yesterday Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei made his first public appearance since the end of the so-called “12-day war” against Israel, as per IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency) and Tasnim.
Worth a mention is also the following warning that Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi issued to to the Zionist enemy last Friday, 4th July 2025, as reported by Tasnim (all emphasis mine):
If they attack Iran again, they will see what we are capable of doing.
In that case, even the United States may not be able to save (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu.
[Iran] will not rest until it puts the child-killing terrorists in their place.
Rest assured, we will keep the flag of our dear martyrs' dignity and honor flying high, until our last drop of blood.
Moving to Israel, the country is still grappling with the destruction that ensued from the Iranian missile barrage during the 12-day war. In fact, Zvika Brot, the mayor of Bat Yam, where at least 17 large buildings were reduced to rubble, was quoted by Israel Hayom and Tasnim as saying (emphasis added):
The Iranian missiles caused vast destruction in the city.
Even under the best conditions, rebuilding could take two to three years. It would require full mobilization of municipal and state bodies, and even changes in existing laws.
…adding that 75 major buildings damaged, 20 of which require complete demolition and reconstruction.
According to the Israel Hayom report cited by Tasnim, “13 buildings in Rehovot and 8 in Ramat Gan were flattened, alongside severe damage to numerous critical infrastructures”, with more than 38,700 compensation claims across the country and “estimated property losses exceeding 7 billion Shekels” (i.e. ~2.1 billion US Dollars), while more than 12,000 settlers have been displaced and relocated to 90 hotels. The official casualty toll include 29 dead and more than 3,400 injured, but this is probably an underestimate that does not count military losses, which are subject to strict censorship, affecting also the assessment of damage of military facilities. In fact, as reported in a Telegraph report cited by Tasnim, US academics at Oregon State University, specialized in using satellite radar data to detect bomb damage in war zones, have revealed that 5 previously unreported military facilities, including an intelligence gathering center and a logistics base, were hit by 6 Iranian missiles across the country, as shown in the map below:
Camp Zipporit
Camp Glilot
Irtah
Beit Nehemia
Tel Nof Airbase
These strikes are in addition to other 36 known hits that caused significant damage to residential and industrial infrastructure, such as:
oil and power facilities,
the Weizmann Institute, a leading scientific research centre,
the Soroka University Medical Center, a hospital that sits adjacent to a campus of Ben-Gurion University in Be’er Sheva,
Raviv Drucker of Israeli Channel 13 was quoted as saying:
There were a lot of [Iranian] missile hits in IDF bases, in strategic sites that we still don’t report about to this day... It created a situation where people don’t realize how precise the Iranians were and how much damage they caused in many places.
Although Iranian missile barrages have stopped, Israel has still to deal with occasional launches of ballistic missiles by the YAF (Yemeni Armed Forces), the latest of which early this morning, when at 2:45 AM (local time) the Israeli military command warned about a missile launch from Yemen, later announcing its successful interception, as per Al Mayadeen, which, in a separate article, quoted YAF spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree as saying that the YAF's Rocket Force had targeted the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv with a Palestine 2 hypersonic ballistic missile, as reported also by Yemen News Agency Saba.
It is also worth reporting on the speech that the leader of the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement, Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, gave earlier today in occasion of the annual Ashura mourning commemoration1. Here are some highlights from this Saba article (see also this short summary by Al Mayadeen - all emphasis mine):
The Zionist plan is an aggressive and destructive plan that targets the nation in its religion and worldly affairs. We will spare no effort in confronting this enemy with our brothers in al-Quds axis, the Jihad and Resistance, and the free people of the nation.
No matter the challenges, difficulties, the extent of the sacrifices, the level of blame, pressure, media attacks, and other forms of warfare and targeting we face from America, Israeli entity, and their loyal and supportive agents who oppose any approach that does not accept submission to America, our steadfastness in our positions is our decisive and irreversible choice. We seek help from God and rely on Him, trusting in Him, and He is sufficient for us and the best disposer of affairs. He is the best protector and the best supporter.
Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) also provided the greatest lessons in faith, honesty, loyalty, and steadfastness in the truth, even in the most difficult circumstances and stages. He broke the barrier of silence and revived freedom in the nation. Revolutions continued after him until they overthrew the tyrants of the Umayyads, giving truth impetus and extension across generations.
Our battle against American and Israeli tyranny stems from the foundation of Imam Hussein's revolution, because the Americans and Israelis pose a threat to the nation by obliterating its religious identity, targeting its sanctities, and seeking to control, exclude, humiliate, and violate it.
What the enemy is committing against this nation, starting with its genocide in Palestine, its violation of the sanctity of holy sites, and all forms of injustice and crime, as well as its actions in the Islamic world outside Palestine, and its satanic soft war targeting the nation, and its aggressive plan aimed at occupying homelands, plundering resources, and enslaving societies, all of this necessitates that we, as a religious and moral faith-based responsibility, confront American and Israeli tyranny and stand up to their crimes.
It is our religious responsibility to confront the crimes of American and Israeli tyranny and to act against their corruption and falsehood. We must never accept submission to them or obedience to American and Israeli tyranny, because that leads to loss in this world and the hereafter.
No matter the difficulties, challenges, and magnitude of the sacrifices, the cause is sacred and deserves our sacrifice, which has the greatest reward in this world and the hereafter. In this world, we are free and honored, honored by that and honored by the values of Islam, and we enjoy that. In the hereafter, we are promised Paradise, contentment, salvation from God's punishment, and great victory. This is the safest option in contrast to the loss of surrender and subservience, which carries a terrible price and catastrophic consequences in this world and the hereafter.
Our embarking on the path of truth, Islam, and the Quran is based on complete confidence in God Almighty's promise of victory for His believing servants. We witness the growth of this steadfastness of our nation in its rightful stance against American and Israeli tyranny.
Meanwhile, this morning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that a negotiating team will travel to Doha (Qatar) for talks regarding a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israeli bombing continues relentless, as reported here by Al Mayadeen; however, at the same time, “the Israeli government rejected revisions put forward by Hamas to the proposed agreement, calling them ‘unacceptable’, without offering further details”, as reported in this article by Al Mayadeen. So, do not hold your breath! However, if you are curious, you can find details of Qatari negotiations framework for a ceasefire in Gaza, in this other article by Al Mayadeen.
I will conclude this article with some highlights from the latest speech that Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem gave in occasion of the annual Ashura mourning commemoration in Beirut (Lebanon), as reported by Al Mayadeen and Al Manar (all emphasis mine):
We gather in these processions not just to commemorate, but to renew our allegiance to the path of resistance.
This resistance is that of Imam Sayyed Musa al-Sadr and the master of the martyrs of the Ummah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and it will uphold the covenant.
The flame of resistance will remain ignited, even if the circumstances were difficult.
We confront the enemy by defending Lebanon, and this defense will continue, even if the whole world stands against us. Liberation is a duty, no matter how long it takes. How can you expect us to stop when the enemy persists in its aggression? We cannot accept this, and we carry the wills of our martyrs on our shoulders.
We will never accept surrender. We are men of the field, and our position is clear: either our rights prevail or their falsehood is defeated.
We are determined to uphold the resistance and preserve this trust. We will not be part of legitimizing the occupation, and we categorically reject disgraceful normalization. Our choice is the choice of Hussein. Our thunderous people will never accept humiliation or surrender.
A new agreement cannot be built on submission. This aggression must be halted. Resistance is a legitimate solution. The continued existence of the Israeli occupation is the real crisis that must be confronted.
We find it ridiculous to be asked to hand over our rockets, which form the foundation of our defense. We are determined to live in a free, sovereign, and dignified country.
We will keep resisting and confronting [the enemy]. The ceasefire agreement was supposed to halt the aggression, but the occupation has committed thousands of violations. We cannot be intimidated into submission. No one has the right to demand we soften our position or disarm as long as the enemy's attacks persist.
We are not concerned by threats from the occupation or Washington, be it of killing or calls for surrender.
We are ready for national dialogue, and we have the flexibility to reach an agreement. But first, the enemy must comply.
We are men of the battlefield. Between humiliation and dignity—never shall we accept humiliation.
We are ready for peace and state-building, just as we are prepared for confrontation and defense, and we will not relinquish our rights, no matter the sacrifices.
Do not assume we lack power. On the contrary, our strength lies in our unity. Hezbollah and the Amal Movement stand as one in every confrontation. Our missile capabilities are the foundation of our defensive power, and surrendering them is out of the question. We insist on living in a free, sovereign, and dignified nation.
Palestine will remain for its people, and we will continue to stand by you.
Yemen has become a torch of resistance and honor, setting a unique example by humiliating both America and Israel.
Your support is invaluable. If you enjoyed this article, please consider leaving a tip here: https://ko-fi.com/ismaele85415 (or click the “Tip jar” button below).
Ashura is the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar, significant for both Sunni and Shia Muslims. For Shia Muslims (e.g. the majority of Lebanese and Iranians), it is a day of mourning commemorating the death of Imam Husayn, while for Sunni Muslims (e.g. the majority of people in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt), it marks the parting of the Red Sea by Moses and other events.
Thank you for your important updates.
Thank you, and I see Yemen has sunk an English ship bringing food to Israel.