WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, July 26, 2017.

Reaction to US Sanctions

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has warned of retaliatory measures after the US House of Representatives passed a new set of sanctions against Tehran. Rouhani said the US should respect the rights of the Iranian people, saying the Islamic Republic will not give in to pressures and sanctions. Deputy Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has also criticized the sanctions bill, calling it a clear hostile act. Araqchi added that the bill is a conclusion of past sanctions over non-nuclear issues, but could affect the successful implementation of the nuclear deal. On Tuesday, the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to slap new sanctions on Iran over its missile program and what the lawmakers called the country’s support for terrorism. The measure still needs to be passed by the Senate.

Russia US Warning

Russia has warned of retaliation after the US imposed a fresh set of sanctions against the country. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov says the measure by US lawmakers is a serious step toward diminishing prospects for better ties with Russia. He says the move will take bilateral relations to what he called uncharted waters. The senior diplomat noted that Moscow will not cast pearls anymore for the US. Top Russian legislator Konstantin Kosachyov has also warned of a painful response to the new sanctions. The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to slap new sanctions on Russia over its alleged role in America’s 2016 presidential election. Washington and Moscow are also at loggerheads over the 2014 reunification of Crimea.

Israel West Bank Arrests

Israel has intensified its violent crackdown on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank amid soaring tensions in East Jerusalem al-Quds. Israeli forces arrested over twenty Palestinians during dawn raids across the occupied territory. There’s been no comment by Israeli authorities on the reason behind the operations. Israeli soldiers, however, frequently conduct such operations in search of those, who have participated in anti-Tel Aviv demonstrations. Over the past two weeks, the occupied West Bank has been the scene of rallies against Israel’s newly-implemented restrictions at al-Aqsa Mosque. Meanwhile, Amnesty International has slammed Israeli soldiers for their violent raid on a Palestinian hospital in East Jerusalem al-Quds.

Deadly Taliban Attack

A militant attack on an army camp in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province has left at least 26 soldiers dead. The overnight ambush by hundreds of Taliban militants also wounded 13 troops. Military officials say they inflicted heavy losses on the attackers during an hours-long gun battle, killing more than 80 of them. The militant group has ramped up its deadly campaign against Afghan government forces. In April, Taliban militants killed more than 140 soldiers in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif in one of its bloodiest attacks on the army.

Hezbollah Advances

The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah is set to fully dislodge Nusra Front terrorists along the Syrian border. The fighters have already liberated over ninety percent of strategic areas in the northeastern town of Arsal. Dozens of the terrorists have been reportedly killed in the operations. Hezbollah forces began their offensive in Arsal nearly a week ago. The resistance movement has been assisting the Syrian army in its fight against different terrorist groups since 2011 when a foreign-backed war began in Syria.

Trump against Muslims

A new survey shows nearly three-quarters of American Muslims view President Donald Trump as unfriendly to them. According to Pew Research Center, over 60 percent of those surveyed said Americans do not view Islam as part of the mainstream after the presidential election that saw a surge in hostility toward Muslims and immigrants. The poll of over one-thousand adults was conducted between January and May. The survey, however, found that US Muslims received more support from individual Americans. Nearly half of the respondents said they had received expressions of encouragement from non-Muslims, an increase over past polls. President Trump had been running on an anti-migrant platform tinged with Islamophobia during his campaign last year. He promised extreme vetting of refugees, and temporarily banned travelers from six Muslim-majority countries.

Bahrain Crackdown

Bahrain has charged 60 people with terrorism as the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom tightens its grip on political dissent. All those charged are from the Shia majority community. They are set to face a mass trial next month for charges including forming a terrorist group and training in the use of weapons to carry out attacks. Since 2011, Bahrain has sentenced hundreds of people to jail as part of its crackdown on pro-reform protesters. Dozens of anti-regime protesters were also killed. Several high-profile clerics and activists were imprisoned and stripped of their citizenship on charges, including criticizing the ruling Al Khalifah family. Manama, a close ally of the United States, has drawn harsh criticism from international human rights organizations for its crackdown on dissent and pro-democracy protests.

EU US Warning

The European Union has warned that the bloc is ready to act accordingly if the proposed new US sanctions on Russia undermine the bloc’s energy security. The European Commission president said the sanctions could affect EU companies working on Russian pipelines that bring fuels to Europe. Germany has also criticized US’s bill, warning that Washington does not have the right to tell German companies how they should act with foreign business partners.

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