Aug. 2 – The leader of the Islamic Republic in Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, appeared to order a direct attack against Israel this week, following the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
News of the alleged order was shared with the New York Times by three anonymous Iranian officials, two of whom said they belonged to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Hamas is part of the republic’s axis of resistance in the Middle East, which seeks to stem western influence in the region and to establish Iran as a superpower.
Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s new president, was sworn into office on Tuesday, after being officially endorsed by Khamenei on July 28.
Despite styling himself as a moderate, Pezeshkian, who is loyal to the ultra conservative Khamenei, is unlikely to change the hardline policies which dominate the government.
The election for the new president saw the lowest voter turnout since the 1979 revolution, as Iranians across the country become increasingly disillusioned following dire economic hardship.
And an Iranian rower has made it to the women’s single sculls finals. Fatemeh Mojallal pushed through the semi-finals on Wednesday to secure a place in the final race for the sport.
Mojallal has previously won a silver medal in the four women double rowing at the 2022 Asian Games, and has won 2 gold medals in the under-23 rowing competitions at the 2023 Asian Championship in Thailand.
