Shamkhani: Iran is going [to Rome] to achieve a balanced agreement; not surrender.
Shamkhani: Agreement also stipulates speed [in implementation], refraining from threats, reining in troublesome parties like "Israel", and facilitating investment.
Shamkhani: Agreement based on nine principles, including seriousness, guarantees, balance, lifting sanctions, and refusal of Libya/UAE models.
Ali Shamkhani, Advisor to Iran's Leader: Negotiators headed to Rome with complete authority to arrive at comprehensive agreement.
Sheikh Qassem: Reconstruction is not a favor from anyone, and we will not accept blackmail under this pretext.
Qassem: Lebanon cannot move forward under US guardianship, and the US must respect the Lebanese people’s will for independence and non-interference in its affairs.
Sheikh Qassem: They say they are linking reconstruction to disarmament, we say we are the ones linking weapons to reconstruction.
Sheikh Qassem: Moving to the second phase requires implementing the first phase, which includes the withdrawal of “Israel,” an end to its aggression, and the actual start of reconstruction.
Sheikh Qassem: Hezbollah has fulfilled its responsibilities; let “Israel” fulfill its own, and let the Lebanese state fulfill its own.
Qassem: We will not discuss the details of the defensive strategy in the media, nor will we preempt the principles that will be agreed upon once we sit at the dialogue table.
Civilian casualties from explosive weapons hit record high in more than a decade
Civilian casualties from bombing or other explosive violence have reached a record high in 2024, with 61,353 civilians killed or injured; a 67% increase from 2023, according to Action on Armed Violence (AOAV). Israeli wars accounted for 55% of these casualties (33,910), followed by the war in Ukraine at 19% (11,693). Gaza was the hardest-hit region, comprising 39% of all casualties, with over 23,600 deaths reported. The report highlighted that AOAV's findings undercount the true toll, as it based its study on English-language reports only.
