IMF pushes Pakistan provinces for rs430bn tax incr…

Iran has appointed veteran Revolutionary Guards commander Mohsen Rezaei as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), placing a prominent security figure in a senior position at a sensitive time for the country. Rezaei, 71, replaces Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr as secretary of the council. Zolqadr has instead been appointed as a political adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. The SNSC plays a central role in coordinating Iran’s national security and foreign policy. It is formally chaired by President Masoud Pezeshkian and includes senior military, intelligence and government officials. Rezaei brings decades of military and political experience to the position. He joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and became its commander in 1981, when he was only 27. He remained at the helm of the IRGC for 16 years. Much of his tenure coincided with the Iran-Iraq war from 1980 to 1988. During that period, he oversaw the development of the organisation’s land, naval and air capabilities. After leaving the IRGC command, Rezaei remained an influential figure within Iran’s political and security establishment. He later served for more than two decades as secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council. He also entered electoral politics and repeatedly sought the presidency of Iran. From 2021 to 2023, he served as vice president for economic affairs under former President Ebrahim Raisi. Rezaei holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Tehran, although much of his career has been focused on military, security and political affairs. His relationship with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is another significant factor behind his new appointment. Rezaei was named a military adviser to Khamenei after the latter assumed the supreme leadership earlier this year. Khamenei also issued a decree appointing Rezaei as his representative on the SNSC. The decree highlighted Rezaei’s extensive military experience, particularly his role during the Iran-Iraq war. During the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel, Rezaei has frequently made public statements on security and foreign policy issues. He has expressed strong opposition to concessions in negotiations with Washington and has repeatedly taken a hard-line position on Iran’s security interests. His appointment therefore places an experienced IRGC commander at the centre of Iran’s national security decision-making structure. Rezaei’s political journey began even before the Islamic Revolution. As a teenager, he became involved in opposition activities against Iran’s Pahlavi monarchy. He was arrested by SAVAK, the Shah’s security service, in 1973.

Pope Leo has called for an immediate end to violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Speaking after the Angelus prayer at his residence in Castel Gandolfo near Rome, the Pope expressed concern over repeated violence targeting Palestinian civilians. He urged the international community to take practical steps to help end the conflict and advance efforts for a two-state solution. The Pope said lasting peace would require a fair political settlement that guarantees the rights and security of both Palestinians and Israelis. His comments come amid growing tensions in several parts of the West Bank. Violence involving Israeli settlers and Palestinians has increased, while restrictions and confrontations have added to concerns among local residents. The situation in the village of Qusra has also drawn attention. Reports have described severe restrictions on residents, including disruptions to essential services and movement. Rights organisations have raised concerns that increasing settler activity and pressure on Palestinian communities could contribute to further displacement and the expansion of Israeli settlements. The Vatican has consistently supported the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of a negotiated two-state settlement. More than 150 of the 193 UN member states recognise Palestine. The future of the West Bank remains one of the central issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinians seek the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem as the basis of an independent state. Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank has remained a major source of international criticism. Palestinian officials and rights groups say the continued expansion threatens the possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian state. The Israeli government, however, disputes the international characterisation of the West Bank as occupied territory and considers it disputed land.

US intelligence agencies are examining whether Russia helped Iran carry out drone attacks on CIA facilities in the Gulf, raising fresh concerns about growing military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran. Officials are reviewing intelligence to determine whether Russia provided targeting information, advanced drone technology, or other forms of support that may have increased the accuracy of the attacks. According to sources familiar with the investigation, analysts have not reached any final conclusions about Russia’s involvement. However, the precision of the strikes and Russia’s long history of military and technical cooperation with Iran have led intelligence officials to explore whether Moscow played a direct role in planning or supporting the operations. The investigation follows a series of Iranian drone attacks that targeted sensitive US intelligence locations in the region. At least two CIA facilities were reportedly hit in March. One of the sites was located inside the US Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, while another was in eastern Iraq. Officials familiar with the matter said additional CIA locations may also have been attacked, although they declined to reveal further details because of security concerns. Western intelligence officials have also reviewed reports suggesting that Russia may have assisted Iran in selecting the targets. One intelligence assessment reportedly concluded that Russia likely contributed to identifying regional CIA facilities, although officials stressed that the findings remain under review and have not been publicly confirmed. According to officials briefed on intelligence reports, the attack on the US Embassy compound in Riyadh involved two upgraded versions of Iran’s Shahed drones. They said one drone created an opening in the embassy’s outer structure while the second entered through the damaged area before exploding inside. No casualties were reported, but the operation demonstrated a level of accuracy that surprised intelligence analysts. The investigation comes as tensions between the United States and Iran remain high following months of military exchanges across the Middle East. American officials are also examining recent Iranian strikes on a US military base in Jordan where ballistic missiles killed two American soldiers. Those attacks have intensified concerns that Iran may be receiving more advanced military support from Russia. Analysts believe Russia has spent years helping Iran improve its drone capabilities. Intelligence sources say Moscow has assisted Tehran in increasing the range and precision of its Shahed drones through technical upgrades. Reports also suggest Russia supplied Iran with the Kometa M satellite navigation system, which is believed to provide greater accuracy and stronger resistance to electronic interference than Iran’s previous guidance systems. Russia has denied supplying the technology and dismissed earlier reports on the matter. The White House referred questions about the investigation to the CIA, which declined to comment. Iran’s mission to the United Nations, the Russian Defense Ministry, and Saudi authorities also did not respond to requests for statements. The exact number and locations of the targeted CIA facilities remain classified. Intelligence sources said more than one site but fewer than a dozen were struck during the attacks. Overseas CIA operations often include embassy based stations as well as secure facilities used for surveillance, logistics, intelligence gathering, and other sensitive missions. US analysts are also investigating whether Russia supplied the intelligence used to identify the Riyadh facility. Some officials remain cautious, noting that Iran may have intended to strike the US Embassy as a whole rather than specifically targeting the CIA station located within the compound. Others believe very few countries possess both the intelligence capabilities and the strategic motivation to identify and support attacks against such highly sensitive US facilities. Former CIA station chief Daniel Hoffman said closer military cooperation between Russia and Iran makes such assistance plausible. He argued that both countries share a common interest in reducing American influence across the Middle East and other regions where they seek greater strategic control. The investigation remains ongoing as US intelligence agencies continue to assess the available evidence.