Israel says it killed veteran Iran commander

By rahmat hidayat

Saturday, June 21, 2025

Global news you can trust.

Download the Reuters App.

Weekend Briefing

From Reuters Daily Briefing

By Robert MacMillan, Reuters.com Weekend Editor

Welcome to the Weekend Briefing. We recount the two days of terror in Minnesota sparked by Vance Boelter's shooting rampage. It's a very good read. This weekend's edition of the World News podcast traces Iran's evolution from monarchy to Islamic Republic – and what its future might look like. Our latest edition of City Memo takes us to Houston, where the kids practice the fine art of mutton busting. (Look it up.)

Israel says it killed veteran Iran commander as both sides attack

REUTERS/Amir Cohen

No negotiations: Israel said it killed Saeed Izadi, who, its defense minister said, financed and armed Hamas during the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. Learn how Donald Trump, a self-proclaimed peacemaker, came to embrace Israel's campaign against Iran. He also contradicted his national-intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard, who said there was no evidence that Iran was building a nuclear weapon. Investors are gaming out worst-case scenarios.
Gaza: Israeli fire killed at least 44 Palestinians on Friday, many of whom were trying to get food. The U.N. warned of a man-made drought as water systems collapse. Israel's attack on Iran has pushed aside political divisions over Gaza as even Benjamin Netanyahu's foes close ranks behind him.

Judge orders Mahmoud Khalil's release

Victory for rights groups: A U.S. judge said the government made no attempt to rebut evidence provided by lawyers that the Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestinian activist was not a flight risk or a danger to the public. The Los Angeles Dodgers pledged $1 million for helping families of immigrants hit by detentions and deportations. The team also denied ICE access to their parking lots.
In other Trump news: The Supreme Court declined to speed up its consideration of whether to take up a challenge to Trump's tariffs before lower courts have ruled in the dispute. The NAACP said it would not invite Trump to its annual convention, the first time in its history that it has not asked a sitting president to attend. Trump Mobile pulled its smartphone coverage map after some users noted the presence of the words "Gulf of Mexico" instead of "Gulf of America."

'Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps...'

'…that is ours': Vladimir Putin said he did not question Ukraine's independence, but indicated that Russia intends to hold the fifth of Ukraine that it controls. He also said he considered Russians and Ukrainians one people, and "in that sense the whole of Ukraine is ours."
Renewing allegiances: Ukrainians will be able to hold dual or multiple citizenship under a law passed in parliament that tries to ease a demographic crisis exacerbated by the war with Russia. The law also would make it easier for foreigners fighting for Ukraine to become citizens.

More floods threaten China

The forecast: Extreme rainfall and severe flooding, which meteorologists link to climate change, pose major challenges for China and its $2.8 trillion agriculture sector. Read more in our Sustainable Switch newsletter about environmental challenges in Chile, India and Mexico.
China roundup: New Zealand halted funding to the Cook Islands over its deepening ties with China. President Xi Jinping is making inroads across the old silk road in nations traditionally under Russia's sphere of influence. Beijing ordered some civil servants to not dine out in groups of more than three after deaths linked to alcohol consumption at banquets. And just try getting divorced in China these days…

The sun ain't gonna shine anymore

A punch in the solar plexus: Republican-led states captured 75% of the manufacturing investments spawned by President Biden's tax credits for solar and clean energy. Now, Trump's "big beautiful bill" could end them entirely. Read how investors are placing their bets now that the Senate and House have produced two versions of the legislation.
Do you want legs with that? Foxconn and Nvidia are discussing whether to use humanoid robots to make Nvidia AI servers, which would mark a milestone in the adoption of such robots in manufacturing. A Foxconn executive said one version comes with legs, while a cheaper version relies on wheels.

Before I forget…

The House of Commons voted in favor of a bill to legalize assisted dying in England and Wales.
Special Report: More U.S. teenagers are using Wegovy. Proponents say it gives adolescents a chance at a healthier future and can ease the harm of teasing and social isolations. Others cite a lack of long-term safety data, nutritional harm and eating disorders. We spoke with children who are using the drug.
Salvage experts lifted Mike Lynch's sunken superyacht 10 months after it sank off the coast of Sicily, killing the tech tycoon, his daughter and five others.
The legacy of Northern Ireland's past hangs over recent anti-immigrant violence. Reporters Padraic Halpin and Amanda Ferguson explain.
Transatlantic airfares have dropped to rates last seen before the pandemic, the latest sign that fewer Europeans are traveling to the U.S. because of border controls and Trump's policies. They also are seeking homegrown digital services instead of American ones.
Tribes from the Indian state of Nagaland held talks at a museum in Britain to secure the return of ancestral remains taken during the colonial era and put on display for decades.

Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters' website

Listen to the Reuters World News podcast

Weekend Briefing is sent once a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here.

Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here.

This email includes limited tracking for Reuters to understand whether you've engaged with its contents. For more information on how we process your personal information and your rights, please see our Privacy Statement.

Terms & Conditions