US allegedly presented Tehran list of Mossad agents involved in Haniyeh assassination – report

Author: Rhonda Published: August 15, 2024

The delegation sought to deliver messages to Tehran in order to de-escalate the tensions in the region between Iran and Israel.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

AUGUST 14, 2024 22:16

Iranians gather for the funeral procession of assassinated Hamas chief, Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran, August 1, 2024. (photo credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA/via Reuters) — Iranians gather for the funeral procession of assassinated Hamas chief, Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran, August 1, 2024.

(photo credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA/via Reuters)

An unnamed source in Iran’s Supreme National Security Council told Kuwaiti newspaper al Jarida that a high-ranking American security delegation, mediated by Oman, secretly traveled to Tehran, the Kuwaiti paper wrote on Wednesday.

Fox News reported that the delegation allegedly sought to deliver messages to Tehran in order to de-escalate the tensions in the region between Iran and Israel, al Jarida noted in their reporting of the story.

The mission was reportedly to convey to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that the Biden-Harris administration was “kept in the dark” by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the assassinations of Hamas’s Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah’s Fuad Shukr. Israel took responsibility for the assassination of Shukr but has yet to comment on the death of Haniyeh in Tehran.

Allegations behind the death of Hamas leader Haniyeh

Haniyeh was killed by an explosive device that was smuggled into his guesthouse in Tehran, the New York Times reported, and the Jerusalem Post independently confirmed. The bomb was hidden in June and utilized remote technology.

An earlier report by The Telegraph alleged that the Mossad hired Iranian security agents to plant explosives in Haniyeh’s room, citing two unnamed Iranian officials in the report. The same report stated that the agents left the country but maintained a close source in Iran.

A billboard with a picture of newly appointed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is displayed on a building in a street in Tehran, Iran, August 12, 2024. (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA/REUTERS)

Fox News also reported on the recent development, noting that the American delegation was speculated to arrive in Iran through Turkey, landing at the Payam-e-Khorram Airport in Karaj last Thursday and engaging in a two-hour meeting with Iranian officials before returning to Turkey.

Allegedly, the American delegation presented a list with the names of ten Mossad agents within Iran whom the Americans believed were involved in the assassination, directly or indirectly.

Al Jarida said that the Americans would have reportedly done this as a “good faith” initiative in response to Israel’s strikes, which were carried out without American coordination.

Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report

Iran planning to resume testing nuclear bomb detonators – report

Author: Rhonda Published: August 14, 2024

Iran is reportedly advancing its nuclear weapons program, including high-level uranium enrichment and missile development, amid growing international concern.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

AUGUST 14, 2024 08:50

Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani walks near an Iranian missile during an unveiling ceremony in Tehran, Iran, in this picture obtained on February 17, 2024. (photo credit: Iran's Defense Ministry/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS) — Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani walks near an Iranian missile during an unveiling ceremony in Tehran, Iran, in this picture obtained on February 17, 2024.

(photo credit: Iran’s Defense Ministry/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS)

Iran is reportedly advancing its secret nuclear weapons program, bringing it closer to the capability of building a nuclear bomb, according to an exclusive report citing Iranian officials published on Wednesday by Iran International.

Three independent sources in Iran, who have chosen to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the information, told Iran International that the Islamic Republic has made significant progress in its nuclear program.

This included restructuring the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), keeping Mohammad Eslami as the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and resuming tests to produce nuclear bomb detonators, the report noted.

For years, US intelligence agencies have maintained that Iran was not engaged in the key activities necessary to develop a testable nuclear device.

However, the Director of National Intelligence’s 2024 report, released in July, indicated a shift in this assessment, according to Iran International’s report, noting that Iran has “undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device if it chooses to do so.”

Increased uranium enrichmentment

Additionally, the Iranian Parliament recently approved a bill to restructure SPND, granting it financial independence and exempting it from the oversight of the National Audit Office. This restructuring allows SPND to operate with increased autonomy, continuing its work on nuclear detonators under the supervision of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

On January 20, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a satellite using a solid-fuel, three-stage carrier, which prompted criticism from Germany, Britain, and France due to concerns over the use of long-range ballistic missile technology, Iran International noted.

Since the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran has increased its uranium enrichment levels to 60%, amassing enough material that could potentially be used to produce multiple nuclear bombs in a short period.

The report also highlights the ongoing involvement of Saeed Borji, an explosives and metals expert associated with the Defense Ministry, in the development of nuclear detonators. Along with other key figures, Borji continues to play a crucial role in Tehran’s nuclear weapons program, which remains under the oversight of General Reza Mozaffarinia, the current head of SPND.

Only Yahya Sinwar decides’: Expert reveals Hamas chief’s hostage deal considerations

Author: Rhonda Published: August 11, 2024

Sinwar “has gotten stronger […] contrary to all estimations,” said Rami Igra, former head of the hostages and missing person directorate in the Mossad.

By 103FM

AUGUST 11, 2024 10:58

Updated: AUGUST 11, 2024 12:41

Yahya Sinwar (photo credit: REUTERS/MOHAMMED SALEM) — Yahya Sinwar

(photo credit: REUTERS/MOHAMMED SALEM)

Hamas chief in Gaza Yahya Sinwar “does not want a deal and has no reason to achieve a deal right now,” Rami Igra, former head of the hostages and missing person directorate in the Mossad, said in a conversation with Radio 103FM on Sunday.

“It pains me to defend Netanyahu, but at the same time, the current situation, in my opinion, does not depend on him at all,” he said, explaining that Sinwar has gotten “stronger.”

Sinwas has also not “weakened, contrary to all the estimations, and was appointed as all-powerful in Hamas. In addition, when he looks at the world, the things he wanted to happen are happening.”

“The axis is rising against Israel, not only the axis, the Western world, the United States is creating situations where Israel is cornered,” Igra added.

“If he [Sinwar] can reach a cessation of hostilities and the continued existence of Hamas in Gaza without having to make a deal… I don’t think it depends on Netanyahu and Israel.

People hold banners as they take part in a rally calling for the release of hostages kidnapped in the deadly October 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas from Gaza and for support from the U.S., outside the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel March 10, 2024. (credit: CARLOS GARCIA RAWLINS/REUTERS)

‘Only Sinwar decides’

What depends on Israel, Igra noted, is Hamas’s control in Gaza. “As long as it [Israel] does not provide a real governing alternative to Hamas in Gaza, then Hamas is in control, and Sinwar proved this by the very fact that he was appointed head of the political bureau.

“The fact that Israel chose to attack Haniyeh proves that even in the security establishment, they understood that negotiations with Haniyeh are fruitless and that only Sinwar makes the decisions.”

According to Igra, “The prime minister agreed to a horrible deal as far as the State of Israel is concerned, and he agreed to it because of public and international pressure. The deal as it is about to take place means that we will get very few of the hostages back alive, and thus, we will pretty much seal the fate of the rest. We will return Hamas to be sovereign in Gaza. We will strengthen the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in a very significant way.

“We all want the hostages home, but if Israel makes a deal, it will only get a small part of them. Who will save the rest of the hostages who have a family? What can we offer? The only offer we can make is to raise a white flag and surrender to the continued existence of Hamas.”