Iran says response to US attack would not be limited, while two killed in Gaza

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The United States on Friday approved a sale of $9 billion in Patriot defense missiles for Saudi Arabia, with the deal coming as tensions rise with nearby Iran.

The kingdom, a longtime US partner, plans to buy 730 Patriot missiles from the United States, the State Department said.

The US State Department has approved more than $6.5 billion in potential military sales to Israel in three separate contracts, the Pentagon said on Friday.

The US State Department approved a potential sale of Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.98 billion, and another sale of AH-64E Apache Helicopters for $3.8 billion, the Pentagon said in separate statements.

A third military contract was also awarded for $740 million.

The principal contractor for the first sale is AM General LLC, while Boeing and Lockheed Martin are the contractors for the sale of Apache helicopters.

Israeli forces detained two Palestinians who were attacked by Israeli settlers in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The two were attempting to stop settlers from planting Israeli flags on the land of Palestinian farmers, the report added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met the head of Iran's top security body in Moscow on Friday, the Kremlin said, as Donald Trump sought to force Tehran to make a deal on its nuclear programme.

"The head of state received in the Kremlin the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Larijani, who is visiting Russia," the Kremlin said in a statement on its website.

Iran's Moscow embassy posted on social media that Friday's talks between Putin and Larijani focused on economic ties and "important regional and international issues", without elaborating further.

The visit had not been previously announced, according to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

The Israeli air force has launched airstrikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to the military, which said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure. Israel has repeatedly targeted Lebanon since October 2024, in violation of a ceasefire that brought an end to its war with Hezbollah.

President Donald Trump said Thursday he believed Iran wanted to make a deal to avoid military action, adding that he had set Tehran an undisclosed deadline to respond as US ships steam towards the region.

"I can say this, they do want to make a deal," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. Asked if he had given a deadline, Trump said "yeah I have" but said that "only they know for sure" what it was.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the Secretary of Iran's top security body Ali Larijani on Friday, Russian news agencies reported, citing the Kremlin.

The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and a businessman it said helped launder money for Tehran, as President Donald Trump's administration ramps up pressure on the Islamic Republic.

The Department of the Treasury, announcing the move, said Momeni was responsible for a brutal security crackdown in Iran this month as he oversees law enforcement forces it said were responsible for the deaths of thousands of peaceful protesters.

Trump has in recent weeks issued threats to intervene in Iran over the bloody suppression of the protests and has sent warships to the Middle East, even as he has said he plans to talk with the government there.

The financial sanctions on Friday also targeted five other Iranian security officials involved in "violently repressing the Iranian people", the Treasury said in a statement.

Sanctions were also issued against investor Babak Zanjani and two digital asset exchanges registered in Britain that the Treasury said had processed funds linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. would continue to target Iranian elites and their networks, who he said exploit digital assets to evade sanctions and finance cybercriminal operations.

"Like rats on a sinking ship, the regime is frantically wiring funds stolen from Iranian families to banks and financial institutions around the world. Rest assured, Treasury will act," Bessent said in the statement.

Israel's military denied on Friday having accepted the Palestinian health ministry's death toll for the war in Gaza of 71,000 killed since October 2023, as was reported in Israeli media.

"The (Israeli military) clarifies that the details published do not reflect official ... data", military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani posted on social media.

"Any publication or report on this matter will be released through official and orderly channels."

Israel's left-leaning daily Haaretz had reported Thursday that the military "accepted the estimate of the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry that approximately 71,000 Palestinians were killed during the Israel-Gaza war," sparked by Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Haaretz added that the military "said it is currently analysing the data on the dead to see how many of them are combatants and how many are civilians".

Israel has said it is ready to assist German and other European security agencies in taking action against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, after the European Union formally designated the group a terrorist organisation.

Iran's top diplomat said Friday that his country's missile and defence capabilities would "never" be on the negotiating table, as US President Donald Trump appeared to cool on threats of a strike after a military build-up in the region.

Tehran and Washington have been trading warnings since Trump first threatened to intervene over a deadly crackdown on recent protests and sent a naval fleet to the Middle East.

But the US president brought the temperature down late on Thursday, saying he hoped to avoid military action and that talks with Iran were on the cards, having pressured Tehran for a deal on its nuclear programme, which the West believes is aimed at making an atomic bomb.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was "ready to begin negotiations if they take place on an equal footing, based on mutual interests and mutual respect", during a visit to Turkey, which has led a diplomatic push to mediate between Tehran and Washington.

But, he emphasised, "I want to state firmly that Iran's defensive and missile capabilities will never be subject to negotiation", adding that no plans were in place to meet with US officials about resuming talks.

The Axios news site on Monday reported that US officials say any deal with Tehran would have to include a cap on its stockpile of long-range missiles, along with the removal of enriched uranium from the country and a ban on independent enrichment.

Serhan Afacan, director of IRAM, the Ankara-based Centre for Iranian Studies, told AFP that trying to broker a deal now on the nuclear file along with other issues would likely "be impossible".

"For now, the ballistic missile programme remains a red line, as it sits at the core of Iran's defence architecture," he said.

South Africa ordered Israel's top diplomat to leave the country within 72 hours on Friday, citing a "series of violations" and prompting the Israeli government to expel Pretoria's own diplomatic representative.

Ties between the nations are already strained by South Africa's case before the United Nations top court in 2023 to argue that Israel's war on Gaza amounts to genocide.

The South African foreign ministry said it had informed Israel that its charge d'affaires, Ariel Seidman, was "persona non grata" and "required to depart from the Republic within 72 hours".

"This decisive measure follows a series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice which pose a direct challenge to South Africa's sovereignty," it said.

They included "the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks" on President Cyril Ramaphosa, the statement said.

The foreign ministry also accused the embassy of a "deliberate failure" to inform South Africa of "purported visits by senior Israeli officials".

The Israeli foreign ministry swiftly responded that South Africa's senior diplomatic representative "is persona non grata and must leave Israel within 72 hours".

In a statement on X, it accused Pretoria of "false attacks against Israel in the international arena" and described Seidman's expulsion as a "unilateral, baseless step".

He was Israel's most senior representative in South Africa after Tel Aviv recalled its ambassador in 2023.

The United States on Friday issued fresh Iran and counter terrorism-related sanctions, targeting seven Iranian nationals and at least one entity, according to the U.S. Treasury Department's website.

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Friday it will not submit lists of staff demanded by Israel to maintain access to Gaza and the West Bank, saying it had not been able to obtain assurances over the safety of its teams.

MSF, which supports and helps staff hospitals in Gaza, is one of 37 international organisations that Israel ordered this month to stop work in the Palestinian territories unless they meet new rules including providing employee details.

The aid groups say sharing such staff information could pose a safety risk, pointing to the hundreds of aid workers who were killed or injured during the two-year Gaza war.

Israel's diaspora ministry, which manages the registration process, did not immediately respond.

Israel has previously said the registrations were meant to prevent diversions of aid by Palestinian armed groups. Aid agencies dispute that substantial aid has been diverted.

MSF had said last week it would be prepared to share a partial list of Palestinian and international staff who had agreed to release that information, provided the list be used only for administrative purposes and not put its team at risk. It also said it wanted to retain control over the management of medical humanitarian supplies.

"However, despite repeated efforts, it became evident in recent days that we were unable to build engagement with Israeli authorities on the concrete assurances required," MSF said in a statement.

It said there could be a devastating impact on humanitarian services if it is banned from operating in Gaza and the West Bank, amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Israel's military has accepted that around 70,000 Palestinians were killed during the war in Gaza, after having earlier cast doubt on death tolls reported by the enclave's health officials, Israeli media reported on Friday citing senior military officials.

The Gaza health ministry publishes names and ages of those it records as killed. It now says the toll stands at over 71,000, including more than 480 killed in Israeli attacks since the start of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in October.

It says many thousands more are still buried beneath the rubble of Gaza's destroyed cities.

Citing a briefing on Thursday with senior military officials, Israel's Ynet news website and other leading outlets reported that the military had adopted a similar estimate.

"In our estimation, around 70,000 Gazans were killed during the war, not including missing persons," Ynet cited an official as saying.

"We are currently doing the work of distinguishing between terrorists and those who were not involved," the official was quoted as saying.

Asked for comment, Israel's military said that "the details published do not reflect official (Israel Defence Forces) data."

It added: "Any publication or report on this matter will be released through official and orderly channels."

Palestinian group Hamas called on Friday for Israel to reopen Gaza's Rafah crossing to Egypt immediately in both directions.

In a statement, the group called for the "immediate transition to the second phase" of the US-brokered truce in Gaza, namely its provision for the reopening of Rafah, as well as the entry of a technocratic Palestinian committee to administer the territory.

Israel has said it will reopen the crossing on Sunday but did not say how many of Gaza's more than 2 million people would be allowed to cross the border per day.

Israel had said it would reopen it only after recovering the body of the last Israeli hostage in Gaza, which took place this week.

The United States has accused Iran of using internet restrictions as a source of profit, saying the cost of online access has become out of reach for many citizens.

In a post on X written in Persian, the US State Department said Iranians are being forced to pay high prices for limited internet access through VPN services, even as many households struggle to cover basic living costs such as food and rent.

The department said the restrictions have effectively turned internet access into a luxury reserved for a small segment of the population, despite it being an essential lifeline for millions.

It accused Iranian authorities of benefiting financially from public hardship and urged the removal of restrictions, arguing that people should not have to choose between meeting daily needs and staying connected to the outside world.

Israel announced that the crucial Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt would be reopened on Sunday, but only for the "limited movement of people".

"The Rafah Crossing will open this coming Sunday (February 1st) in both directions, for limited movement of people only", COGAT, a defence ministry body overseeing civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, said in a statement on Friday.

Entry and exit "will be permitted in coordination with Egypt, following prior security clearance of individuals by Israel, and under the supervision of the European Union mission", it added.

Iran is ready to resume nuclear talks with the United States "on an equal footing", its top diplomat Abbas Araghchi said in Istanbul on Friday at a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart.

"If the negotiations are fair and on an equal footing, the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to participate," he said, adding the standard disclaimer that Tehran has "never sought to obtain nuclear weapons".

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday Tehran had no plans in place to meet with US officials about resuming talks, insisting preparatory work was the first priority.

"No meeting plan has been set between us and the Americans. We are ready for fair and just negotiations, but preparations are needed, both in terms of the form and subject of the discussions and the venue," he said, indicating he had discussed the matter with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan at talks in Istanbul.

South Africa has declared Israel's chargé d'affaires Ariel Seidman persona non grata, its foreign affairs ministry said on Friday.

 The U.S. military and civilian leaders of Washington's flagship mission for Gaza are stepping aside and their replacements have yet to be made public, diplomats said, as European countries rethink their presence in the initiative to shape post-war Gaza.

The top military officer at the Civil-Military Command Center, a three-star lieutenant general, is expected to be replaced by a US commander of a lower rank, while the top civilian has returned to his job as U.S. ambassador to Yemen.

The CMCC was set up in October in the first phase of President Donald Trump's plan to end the Gaza war, and is meant to supervise the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, facilitate the entry of aid and shape Gaza policy.

The overhaul in its leadership comes amid what western officials and diplomats say is growing uncertainty over the body's future role, as Trump pursues the next phase of his plan including by setting up a "Board of Peace" of foreign dignitaries to supervise Gaza policy.

Lieutenant-General Patrick Frank, the top commander of US Army forces in the Middle East, has been leading the CMCC in southern Israel since it was established. The US military announced last month that he was being promoted to deputy head of U.S. Central Command.

Four diplomats told Reuters he is expected to leave as soon as next week. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The State Department said in a statement that the CMCC's civilian lead, career diplomat Steve Fagin, had returned to his post as U.S. Ambassador to Yemen after holding "the transitional role as civilian lead for CMCC". The department did not say who would replace him. The four diplomats said a replacement for Fagin had not yet been announced.

Diplomats have said the centre has failed to increase aid flows or achieve political change, with some U.S. partners now reconsidering their involvement.

Under the first phase of the ceasefire plan, major fighting has been halted, hostages were released in exchange for prisoners and Israeli forces have withdrawn from nearly half of the Gaza Strip.

But the warring sides accuse each other of violations. More than 400 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have been killed. The vast majority of Gaza's more than 2 million people now live in a small strip of land outside an Israeli-occupied zone, mostly in makeshift tents or damaged buildings.

Trump has announced the second phase of his plan this month, under which Israel would withdraw further and Hamas would relinquish day-to-day control to an internationally backed administration. 

Citi expects the US and Israel to take limited actions against Iran in the near term that avoid an escalatory response to push the country into a deal over its nuclear programme, the bank said in a note on Thursday.

The smaller steps likely include limited U.S. military actions and oil tanker seizures that are expected to keep the risk premium in oil markets elevated, especially over concerns Iran would shut the key Strait of Hormuz transit point, the bank said.

Oil prices climbed 3% to a five-month high on Thursday on rising concerns that global supplies could be disrupted if the U.S. attacks Iran, one of OPEC's biggest crude producers.

U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing options against Iran that include targeted strikes on security forces and leaders to inspire protesters, multiple sources said, even as Israeli and Arab officials said air power alone would not topple the clerical rulers.

The bank's base case for limited actions, which it gives a 70% probability of occurring, "reflects U.S. sensitivity to higher energy prices" because of domestic political considerations, "President Trump's preference to avoid war and the likelihood that ongoing domestic pressures within Iran provide potential for changes that could lead to a deal," it said.

Citi does not expect a large response from Iran "as it does not want war either, as it is facing a faltering economy and civil unrest."

The bank sees a 30% chance of heightened but limited conflict and internal political instability in Iran causing intermittent disruptions to oil production and exports, and a 10% risk of substantial regional supply losses driven by civil unrest with U.S. and Israel.

In its base case, Citi expects a U.S.–Iran deal and a de-escalation at some point in 2026, which would reduce the Iran-related geopolitical risk premium, currently at $7–10 a barrel with Brent near $70.

On Thursday, Brent futures settled at $70.71 a barrel.

Israel’s Ynet news site, citing military sources, reported that the arrival of a US Navy destroyer in Israel was pre-planned and formed part of ongoing cooperation between the Israeli and US militaries.
The destroyer docked at Israel’s southern port city of Eilat, according to the report.

This comes amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Iran.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces announced a new agreement Friday with the country's central government intended to stabilize a ceasefire that ended weeks of fighting and to lay out the steps toward integration between the two sides.

Under the agreement, the SDF said, security forces affiliated with the Syrian Ministry of Interior would go into the cities of al-Hassakeh and Qamishli in the Kurdish heartland, which they had previously been barred from entering, and the process of integrating SDF and government forces would begin.

This would include formation of a new military brigade comprising three brigades from the SDF, in addition to the formation of a brigade of SDF fighters within a government brigade in Aleppo province.

Local institutions in the Kurdish-led government of northeast Syria — which has operated as a de facto autonomous zone for years — and their employees would be integrated into state institutions.

The agreement also includes “civil and educational rights for the Kurdish people, and guaranteeing the return of the displaced to their areas,” the statement said.

“The agreement aims to unify the Syrian territories and achieve the full integration process in the region by enhancing cooperation between the concerned parties and unifying efforts to rebuild the country,” it said.

There was no immediate statement from Damascus, but Syrian state TV cited an unnamed official confirming the agreement.

The Israeli military said on Friday it launched overnight strikes at "eight terrorists" in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, killing three of them, with a fragile ceasefire still in place in the Palestinian territory.

In a statement on Friday, the Israeli military said it had identified "eight terrorists" who emerged from underground and that the air force "struck and eliminated three of the terrorists".

Without providing any information on the identities of its targets, it said that further strikes were launched and that "soldiers continue to conduct searches in the area in order to locate and eliminate all the terrorists".

In a statement on Friday, the Israeli military said it had identified "eight terrorists" who emerged from underground and that the air force "struck and eliminated three of the terrorists".

The Israeli military said its forces "remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat".

US President Donald Trump has signalled a willingness to negotiate with Iran, saying Washington would “prefer not to” launch a military attack.

According to Israeli broadcaster KAN, Trump held discussions with Iranian officials in recent days, urging Tehran to abandon its nuclear ambitions and halt the killing of protesters.

Speaking on Thursday, Trump said he planned to speak with Iran, even as the United States deployed an additional warship to the Middle East.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the US military was prepared to carry out any decision made by the president.

Trump, however, declined to provide details on the timing or scope of any potential talks, and did not say who would represent Washington in negotiations with Tehran.

Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said he met senior US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, during a visit to Washington, DC, as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to rise.

In a post on X, Prince Khalid said the meeting, which was also attended by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, focused on reviewing strategic relations between the two countries and exploring ways to strengthen cooperation.

He added that the talks also covered efforts to promote regional and global peace and stability.

Saudi Arabia, a close US ally that hosts an American airbase south of Riyadh, said this week it would not allow its airspace or territory to be used for military action against Iran.

Met with @SecRubio, @SecWar, and @SEPeaceMissions to review the strategic relations between our countries and explore prospects for enhancing our cooperation. We also discussed our efforts to advance regional and global peace and stability. pic.twitter.com/RKf9ySKIf2

— Khalid bin Salman خالد بن سلمان (@kbsalsaud) January 30, 2026