** IRAN DAILY
-- Ukraine the new victim
The American arms industry stands as one of the world’s most lucrative sectors, with the West holding sway over 75% of the global arms market. In this domain, the United States commands a staggering 54% share of the $531 billion global arms sales, while Europe claims 21%. The ongoing crisis in Ukraine has been speculated by some intellectuals to serve as a catalyst for revitalizing the Western arms industry, which has seen a slump since the aftermath of the 2003 Iraq war.
Despite facing challenges related to quantity, both NATO and the United States seem poised to overcome these hindrances through the introduction of strategic weaponry into the Ukrainian conflict. Amid this backdrop, the United States has notably extended substantial support to Ukraine throughout the duration of the conflict. In a recent move, Washington has unveiled plans to dispatch what it terms as “new security assistance,” a package valued at $200 million. This aid encompasses a range of provisions, including air defense munitions, artillery rounds, supplementary mine-clearing equipment, and bolstered anti-armor capabilities.
-- China’s oil imports from Iran set to hit decade-high in August
Chinese imports of Iranian oil are running at the highest level in at least a decade, according to data intelligence firm Kpler.
The world’s biggest oil importer will take about 1.5 million barrels a day of crude from Iran this month, according to an estimate from Kpler.
That compares with an average of 917,000 barrels a day in the first seven months of the year and would be the highest in the Kpler figures that go back to 2013, Bloomberg reported.
-- Appointment of Saudi envoy to Palestine kills two birds with one stone
Saudi Arabia introduced an ambassador to Palestine for the first time on Sunday.
Iran Daily has discussed this issue as well as its relation to the normalization of Saudi-Israeli ties with Seyyed Ali Nejat, an expert in West Asian affairs, and a researcher at the Scientific Research and Middle East Strategic Studies Center in Tehran.
** KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL
-- Experts warn of ‘real disintegration’ of Israel
A number of Israeli experts have warned of a “real disintegration of Israeli society” and a state of chaos prevailing in the occupied territories due to the performance of the regime headed by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A senior Middle East and Arab World commentator at Israel Hayom newspaper, Oded Granot, warned: “When the religious partner in the regime publicly declares that he will not bear the burden, not even in national service, and at the same time also supports unilateral and far-reaching legislative processes that disintegrate Israeli society – cohesion crumbles, the principle of peaceful coexistence dissolves.”
-- Ukraine irate after NATO suggests land-for-membership deal
Ukraine could give up territory to Russia in exchange for NATO membership and an end to the war, a senior NATO official has suggested, prompting an angry reaction from Kyiv.
Stian Jenssen, the chief of staff to the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said at an event in Norway that while any peace deal would have to be acceptable to Ukraine, alliance members were discussing how the 18-month war might be brought to an end.
-- Hawaii reels from deadliest US blaze in over century
Survivors of deadly wildfires on Maui contended with intermittent power and unreliable cell service as they sought help rebuilding their lives. Teams of people, meanwhile, labored to find the dead and identify them.
With the death toll already at 106, a mobile morgue unit with additional coroners arrived in Hawaii on Tuesday to help with the grim task of sorting through remains. The governor warned that a new storm could complicate the search and recovery.
** TEHRAN TIMES
-- New momentum in Iran-Saudi relations
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian is expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia soon as part of Iranian-Saudi efforts to upgrade their relations.
Iran confirmed that Amir Abdollahian will pay a visit to Saudi Arabia soon, with press reports saying that the visit could take place on Thursday.
-- American soldier entered N. Korea because of ‘discrimination in US army’
American soldier Travis King crossed the heavily fortified wall from South Korea and entered North Korea due to “inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army,” the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) has reported.
King has also "expressed willingness" to seek refuge in North Korea after crossing the border wall on July 18, Pyongyang said in its first comments on the incident.
-- West funds terrorist groups like MKO, Daesh: Judiciary chief
The head of Iran’s Judiciary, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, has said that the West has sponsored terrorist groups, including Daesh and the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO).
In an exclusive interview with Al Mayadeen on Tuesday, Ejei stated that “MKO members are hypocrites, for they proclaimed to bear the banner of anti-imperialism, but today they are embraced by imperialists.”
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