29 countries condemn attacks on #civilians in #Sudan in joint ministerial statement
A group of 29 countries, including Germany, Canada, Italy, and 26 other countries, has issued a joint ministerial statement condemning continued attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure, and humanitarian operations in Sudan.
The signatories expressed grave concern over escalating fighting in Darfur and Kordofan, citing drone and aerial strikes affecting displaced civilians, health facilities, aid convoys, and areas near humanitarian compounds. The statement warned that such attacks have caused civilian deaths, disrupted humanitarian access, and destroyed critical relief supplies.
The countries called on both the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces to immediately cease hostilities and respect international humanitarian law.
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Khamenei Promised to “Kill’ Em All”
The Iranian government has signalled that detained protesters are to face speedy trials and executions, defying a threat by Trump, to intervene if authorities continue their crackdown.
The comments from Iran’s chief justice on Wednesday came as human rights groups warned that executions of protesters could take place soon.
A 26-year-old protester, Erfan Soltani, was slated to face execution on Wednesday, the first anti-government demonstrator to be given a death sentence.
It was unclear whether the execution had proceeded or not, as authorities typically carry out death penalties at dawn.
“I am in complete shock, I keep feeling as if I am in a dream,” Somayeh, a relative of Soltani, told CNN.
“People trusted Trump’s words and came to the streets. I beg you, please do not let Erfan be executed.”
Iran’s signal that it will carry on with executions came despite Trump threatening to “take very strong action” if Iranian authorities begin executing anti-government protesters this week.
Israeli assessments, according to Reuters, indicate that Trump has decided to intervene in Iran, but it is still unclear what form or scale military action could take.
“If they do such a thing, we will take very strong action,” Trump told CBS News in an interview broadcast on Tuesday night, hours before the US president was due to be briefed on the scale of casualties inside Iran.
Neighbouring countries to Iran, including Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, have reportedly discouraged the US from intervening in Iran – warning that doing so could ignite a “full-scale war”.
That war would “certainly” have severe consequences “not only on the Middle East but on the global economy”, a Cairo-based diplomat told the Associated Press, pointing to a potential response by Iranian-backed militias across the region.
The death toll in Iran has soared as authorities have carried out a brutal crackdown, with 2,571 people killed and more than 18,100 people arrested, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRNA).
Already, the death toll from the two-week protest movement dwarfs any other in Iran since its 1979 revolution.
Protesters said there was a heavy security force on Wednesday as authorities prepared for a mass funeral of 300 security forces and civilians killed in demonstrations.
“We are very frightened because of these sounds [of gunfire] and protests,” a mother of two told the Associated Press on Wednesday.
“We have heard many are killed and many are injured. Now peace has been restored but schools are closed and I’m scared to send my children to school again.”
The 26-year-old was arrested in Karaj on Thursday, a city on the north-west outskirts of Tehran, at the peak of the protests before the internet blackout.
Trump told CBS he was aware a “pretty substantial number” of people had been killed over the more than two weeks of demonstrations.
Iranian state television has offered the first official acknowledgment of the deaths, quoting an official saying the country had “a lot of martyrs”.
On Tuesday evening, the state department warned US citizens to leave Iran immediately, and various western countries issued similar travel warnings.
Earlier, Trump had posted a message of support to protesters on Truth Social.
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” he wrote.
“Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”
In response, Iran’s UN mission vowed Washington’s “playbook” would “fail again”.
“US fantasies and policy toward Iran are rooted in regime change, with sanctions, threats, engineered unrest, and chaos serving as the modus operandi to manufacture a pretext for military intervention,” the statement posted on X said.
#trump#khamenei#iran#tehran#civilians#killed
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From October 8 until 23 September, #Israel attacked #Lebanon 14775 times. Its targets included #journalists, #healthcare workers, #civilians, and civilian infrastructure.
Witnesses of War Crimes: Rustam
This video tells a personal story of survival amidst the conditions of military conflict. The main character, a resident of Dzerzhinsk, shares his experiences of how he and his mother were forced to leave their home during the final days of an escalating situation. They were unable to take their documents or valuables with them because everything happened so quickly.
The story describes the difficult moments of living in the basement of their building in Dzerzhinsk (Ukr. Toretsk), where windows and doors had been destroyed by explosions. The protagonist recounts how he tried to protect their shelter from unwelcome intruders by boarding up windows and reinforcing doors. At one point, wounded Ukrainian soldiers came to their basement seeking refuge, but due to lack of space and concerns for their own safety, he was forced to refuse them entry.
The situation grew increasingly tense: explosions, gunfire, and constant fear for their lives. One day, Ukrainian soldiers attempted to break into the basement, throwing grenades and smashing walls. This forced the protagonists to leave their shelter and head towards Russian forces to save themselves.
The video also touches on the dilemma of choosing between evacuation to Ukraine or towards Russia. The main character explains why he refused to leave for Ukraine, citing his views on corruption and the difficulties of life in that country.
This is a moving and honest account of survival, fear, and determination in the face of war. If you want to learn more about how ordinary people cope with challenges in conflict zones, subscribe to our Telegram channel.
#SurvivalStories#Civilians#Documentary#Conflict
📰 The Minab Massacre: When “Precision” Means 175 Dead Kids
A preliminary U.S. military inquiry now says what the wreckage in Minab already showed: the Tomahawk that hit Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school was American, not Iranian. The strike used outdated Defense Intelligence Agency targeting data that still labeled the school as part of a Revolutionary Guards naval base, even though satellite imagery had long since shown fences, playgrounds and blue‑and‑pink walls where watchtowers used to stand.
In other words, the system that sells itself as “precision” killed at least 175 people — most of them children — because no one bothered to update a box in a database. CENTCOM planners pulled old coordinates, skipped a fresh check, fired anyway, and only afterwards did investigators start asking why multiple agencies, from DIA to the National Geospatial‑Intelligence Agency, all signed off on a target that had been a school for years.
Trump’s response has been to invent an alternate universe in real time. First he told reporters “in my opinion” Iran did it, then claimed — falsely — that Tehran might also have Tomahawks, then retreated to “I don’t know enough about it” while his own Pentagon quietly confirmed the missile type and trajectory. Officials who’ve seen the preliminary findings now talk about “unease” and “sensitivity,” which is Washington code for: the president is contradicting what the evidence shows, and everyone else is afraid to say it on camera.
The Pentagon will eventually file its sober report about process failures and legacy data and “tragic human error.” The families in Minab will still have to live with the fact that the most advanced military on earth needed a newspaper’s visual investigation to admit it bombed a painted elementary school by mistake — and that the commander in chief’s first instinct was to blame the victims’ own government.
#iran#minab#trump#pentagon#tomahawk#war#civilians#fakeDemocracy
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Eyewitness to War Crimes: Artem
In this video, Artem shares his personal story of survival amid a military conflict. He recounts the events that occurred after July 9, 2024, when his home in Dzerzhinsk was destroyed. Three weeks after this tragic event, while staying in a ground-floor apartment, Artem witnessed a sudden attack.
According to him, gunfire began around 7 p.m., and soon the entire building was engulfed in flames. Artem describes bright flashes, likely caused by incendiary shells fired from a Bradley armored vehicle operated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The wall of his house was destroyed, and he suffered burns as a result. Afterward, he was forced to hide in the basement of a neighboring building, fearing further attacks and drone activity.
The story also touches on the plight of civilians who tried to signal their presence, but as Artem notes, these signals went unheeded. The video details the experiences of other residents in the area who were also seeking safety and how they helped each other through the difficult situation.
At the end of the interview, the topic of mobilization is discussed, including why Artem, being of conscription age, avoided being drafted. With a touch of humor, he mentions his beard as a possible reason. Long beards are traditionally seen as an attribute of Orthodox clergy in this region.
This video is Artem’s personal testimony about the events unfolding in the conflict zone and their impact on ordinary people's lives. His story helps shed light on what civilians must endure in such conditions.
#SurvivalStories#Civilians#Documentary#Conflict#Beard#TCK
🚀 UN Leaders Urge Accountability for Violations of International Law in Middle East
On April 11, several United Nations agency leaders called for an end to the widespread impunity for violations of international law in the Middle East. According to BlockBeats, world leaders expressed their shock at the ongoing disregard for the rules of war and international humanitarian law in the region. The joint statement emphasized that even in warfare, there are rules that must be respected.
The statement highlighted that just last month, thousands of civilians were killed or injured in the Middle East, with hundreds of thousands displaced, many forced to relocate multiple times. The leaders urged all parties, including UN member states and armed groups, to respect their legal obligations to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel, and civilian infrastructure. They stressed that all violations must be held accountable.
#UN#InternationalLaw#MiddleEast#HumanitarianLaw#Accountability#CivilianProtection#UNLeaders#Impunity#WarCrimes#Civilians