#guardian-council

#guardian-council

Celebrations in Lebanon have erupted as a 10-day ceasefire takes effect, creating an opportunity for discussions between Israeli and Lebanese officials regarding a long-term agreement.

Christian television channels produced in the United States and Europe have made their way into Iranian homes, echoing apocalyptic ideas from American figures promoting the war. These broadcasts became tools for spreading messages to Christians and potential converts, positioning the region at the center of a long-running 'faith war.'

In the past two months, conflict in Iran has created an energy crisis - the latest in a series. Oil prices spiked within days of the start of US, Israeli and Iranian bombing in the Gulf region on 28 February.

Washington's military objectives have shifted significantly, moving from a focus on regime change to merely claiming success in its operations against Iran.

The Treasury Department posted the license on its website late Friday, allowing countries to purchase Russian oil loaded on vessels from Friday through May 16.

Pahlavi pledged to lead a transition to a 'free and democratic Iran.' He called on President Trump to continue the American-Israeli military operation against Iran, in the hope of displacing a regime he decried for placing a 'sea of blood' between itself and its people.

Iran, the officials say, was prepared for this conflict. The command structures built to survive a decapitation strike appear to remain substantially intact, allowing Iranian retaliatory strikes to begin against Israel, Qatar and Bahrain within hours of the initial attacks.

Mojtaba was announced as supreme leader on March 9 after his fellow hardliners rallied behind him to succeed his father. His public response was limited to a written statement on Telegram three days later, intensifying the speculation about how badly he was wounded during Israel's strike on his father's residence.

For decades, the son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been a shadowy figure in Iranian politics, rarely seen in public and almost never heard speaking. He has never given interviews, has held no elected office and appears publicly only on rare ceremonial occasions. Even among political insiders, knowledge of his views is fragmentary.