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Turkey freezes trade, military ties with ‘Israel’

Turkish PM Recep Erdogan

 

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has announced a total freeze in trade and defense ties with Israel amid a dispute with Israel. [AFP]

ANKARA, Turkey (Reuters) — Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that Turkey was freezing defense industry trade with Israel and stepping up Turkish naval patrols in the Eastern Mediterranean, deepening Ankara’s feud with Tel Aviv.”The Eastern Mediterranean is not a strange place to us. Aksaz and Iskenderun, these places have the power and opportunity to provide escorts,” Erdogan told reporters referring to two Turkish naval bases. “Of course our ships will be seen much more frequently in those waters.”On Friday, Turkey announced it was expelling Israel’s ambassador and other senior diplomats, downgrading relations after the release of a UN report on the killing of nine Turks during an Israeli commando raid on an aid flotilla bound for the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian enclave of Gaza last year.Israel’s refusal to apologize for the deaths has angered Turkey, a NATO member with the alliance’s second biggest military, and Erdogan’s government argues that Israel’s blockade of Gaza lacks legitimacy.Erdogan also said Turkey was preparing more sanctions against Israel, and specifically said defense industry ties would be frozen.”Trade ties, military ties, regarding defense industry ties, we are completely suspending them. This process will be followed by different measures,” Erdogan told reporters in Ankara.The extent of trade sanctions were unclear from Erdogan’s words. Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan had said on Monday said Turkey would do nothing “for now” to change its economic relationship with Israel.Asked about Erdogan’s remarks, an Israeli government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “Israel does not want to see further deterioration in its relationship with Turkey.”Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, in remarks broadcast before Erdogan’s announcement on Tuesday, said: “Israel and Turkey are the two strongest and in many respects the most important countries in the Mideast.”We have our differences, but in differences too it is important that both sides act using their heads and not their gut — that will be best for us all and best for regional stability and restoring things.”Erdogan also said he may visit Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas, during a planned visit to Egypt, but would decide after consulting the Egyptian government. Erdogan is planning to visit Cairo later this month.

He will also attend the UN General Assembly in New York later this month where he is likely to speak strongly in support of Palestinian efforts to win UN recognition for a state they aim to create in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank

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‘Yemenis said it very clear, a blockade will be faced by blockade’: Sha’ath

Strait of Hormuz

Saeb Shaath, author and commentator, says Yemen’s control over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait has emerged as a major strategic challenge for Saudi Arabia and its Western allies, arguing that any disruption to the vital maritime corridor could have far-reaching consequences for global trade, energy markets, and regional security.

News   /   Interviews ‘Yemenis said it very clear, a blockade will be … | TikTok

He also discusses that Yemen’s deterrence capabilities have shifted the regional balance of power while increasing pressure on Riyadh to seek a political solution rather than military escalation.

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‘Saudis Arabia is not respecting its neighbours’: Commentator

Yemen will enter a new stage to fully reclaim its rights, Saudi Arabia will find itself in a major strategic deadlock and will bear high costs for its aggression. 

Picture from al-Masirah TV on July 13, 2026 shows smoke and fire rising from the airport in Sana'a, Yemen after Saudi attack.

Commenting to PressTV on Saudi Arabia’s attack on Sana’a International Airport, author and commentator Saeb Shaath said ”Saudi Arabia’s actions destroy neighbours’ trust and destabilize the region”.

Yemen’s Foreign Ministry in Sana’a has condemned Saudi Arabia’s attack on Sana’a International Airport, saying that the strike marks the end of the truce and the beginning of a new phase of war.

In a statement on Monday, the Ministry declared that Yemen will enter a new stage to fully reclaim its rights, warning that Saudi Arabia will find itself in a major strategic deadlock and will bear high costs for its aggression. 

Separately, the spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, stated that “the Saudi aggression will not go unpunished,” adding, “The Saudi enemy has ended the de-escalation phase, and must bear responsibility for all potential consequences.”
 
The Yemeni Ministry of Transport announced in a statement that “Saudi Arabia’s bombardment of Sana’a airport and violation of the Yemeni airspace signifies the Riyadh regime’s insistence, with Americans’ and Zionists’ push, to continue the siege.”

On March 26, 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies initiated a blockade on Yemen, marking the beginning of a comprehensive war, backed with military, political, and logistical assistance from the United States and other Western countries.

The war has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people in Yemen, while failing to achieve its primary goal of reinstating the previous government that was aligned with Riyadh.

Amid a power struggle, the government fled the country, leading Yemen’s popular resistance movement, Ansarullah, to take charge of state affairs.

After a delicate ceasefire brokered by the UN in 2022, multiple rounds of significant attacks were launched against Yemen by the United States, Britain, and the Israeli regime.

The assaults aimed to weaken Sana’a’s ability to conduct solidarity strikes against Israeli targets, which were being conducted in response to Tel Aviv’s genocidal actions in the Gaza Strip.

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Over 43 million join funeral ceremonies for Martyr Leader Imam Ali Khamenei in Iran, Iraq

Fra Hughes, reporting back From Iran, as he attending the funeral service in Mashhad for martyred Leader Imam Ayatollah Ali Khamenei .

Mourners-pack-the-streets-during-the-funeral-procession-for-martyred-Leader-of-the-Islamic-Revolution-Ayatollah-Seyyed-Ali-Khamenei-in-Mashhad

Fra Hughes, reporting back From Iran, as he attending the funeral service in Mashhad for martyred Leader Imam Ayatollah Ali Khamenei .

Tens of millions of Iranians and devotees from across the world turned the funeral ceremonies for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, into the largest procession the world has ever witnessed, according to a report.

The six-day grand farewell and burial rites for the revered Leader were held across five cities — Tehran, Qom, Najaf, Karbala, and Mashhad — drawing massive, passionate crowds that defied all previous records, the Fars News Agency reported.

The ceremonies included three days in Tehran, two days of public mourning at the Grand Mosalla and one day of the main funeral procession, with each of the other cities hosting a full day of tributes. Many mourners traveled between cities, multiplying the scale of participation and creating a continuous wave of devotion.

Official estimates, compiled from multiple independent field and government sources, confirm that between 41 and 43 million people took part in the historic events.

These figures are based on a rigorous combination of data including public transport passenger records to and from ceremony sites, active mobile phone signals in key areas such as the Mosalla and main procession routes, average individual attendance duration of approximately two and a half hours, detailed crowd density calculations along Tehran’s procession paths, physical area measurements from Jamkaran Mosque to the Holy Shrine in Qom, and the route from the airport to the Imam Reza Holy Shrine in Mashhad.   

The endless sea of mourners, who had gathered since early morning, accompanied the vehicle carrying the blessed bodies, transforming the streets of Mashhad into a scene of unparalleled grandeur and devotion.

The sheer scale of the gathering defied description. From the moment the funeral vehicle entered Imam Reza Street, it was completely surrounded by waves of mourners who had traveled from every corner of Iran, all united in grief and determination.

Their tear-streaked faces and fervent chants filled the air, creating an atmosphere that observers described as one of the most remarkable displays of national unity in recent history.

Iraqi authorities, through the Prime Minister’s Office, separately verified the presence of around 10 million mourners in Najaf and Karbala, providing an important independent pillar for the overall calculation.

Even when applying the most conservative methodologies, Iranian officials and relevant authorities emphasize that this monumental event has surpassed every comparable gathering of the past century.

It stands without doubt as the single largest funeral procession in recorded history, a powerful and everlasting testament to the deep love and unwavering allegiance of the Iranian people and the broader Islamic Ummah for their martyred Leader.

The Leader and members of his family were martyred in a terrorist attack on February 28, carried out by the United States and the Zionist regime against the leader’s residence.

Among those martyred were new Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei’s wife, the late leader’s son-in-law; a daughter of the late leader and his 14-month-old granddaughter.

The funeral ceremonies began last Friday, with tributes from political officials from over 45 countries and scholars from more than 90 nations. This was followed by farewell ceremonies at Tehran’s Mosalla over the weekend, where millions paid their respects.

Watch Fra Hughes, reporting back From Iran, as he attending the funeral service in Mashhad for martyred Leader Imam Ayatollah Ali Khamenei :

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNREVSqqW

Millions bid final farewell as Martyr Leader is laid to rest in Mashhad
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