Al Mayadeen – Juy 25, 2025
Iran successfully launches Nahid-2 satellite aboard Russian rocket
Iran's domestically-developed Nahid-2 satellite was launched into orbit from Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome aboard a Soyuz rocket, marking a major step for Iran’s space industry.
The Iranian Space Agency (ISA) has successfully launched the domestically developed Nahid-2 satellite into space aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket. The launch took place on Friday, July 25, from Russia's Vostochny Cosmodrome, signifying a major milestone in Iran's advancing space program.
According to data from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, the Nahid-2 satellite entered orbit at an altitude of approximately 500 kilometers. The mission was part of a broader multi-satellite deployment that included Russia's Ionosfera-M3 and M4 satellites, along with 18 others from various countries.
Technical specifications
Nahid-2 weighs around 110 kilograms and is designed to remain in orbit for up to five years. A standout feature of the satellite is its indigenous propulsion system, engineered entirely by Iranian space experts. This system allows for altitude adjustments of up to 50 km, addressing challenges such as orbital decay due to Earth's gravity.
The propulsion technology includes Iranian-manufactured hot gas thrusters, a composite fuel tank, high-pressure valves, and precision control thrusters. These components, often restricted on the global market, were developed domestically, showcasing Iran's self-reliance in high-tech aerospace solutions.
Additional technical elements onboard Nahid-2 include three-axis attitude control, bidirectional communications across multiple frequency bands, advanced data management systems, and a power distribution network. Notably, it will test communications technologies using the Ku-band frequency for the first time in Iran’s space operations.
Fully made in Iran
The Nahid-2 satellite was developed by the Iranian Space Agency in collaboration with the Iranian Space Research Center and a network of knowledge-based domestic companies. It was commissioned under the supervision of Iran's Ministry of Information and Communications Technology.
Key components, including polymer-based coatings and space-grade adhesives used for thermal insulation and conductivity, were created by Iranian research institutions. The satellite also utilizes lithium-ion batteries manufactured in Iran, capable of enduring tens of thousands of charge-discharge cycles throughout its mission duration.
Significance of the launch
The successful deployment of Nahid-2 represents Iran’s growing capabilities in space technology and satellite engineering. It not only enhances Iran’s presence in low Earth orbit (LEO) but also contributes to the country’s long-term goals in developing high-altitude geostationary (GEO) communications satellites.
This launch underscores Iran’s commitment to advancing domestic space technologies, particularly in areas where international access to components and systems is limited due to sanctions.
The Soyuz rocket carrying Nahid-2 also bore the emblem of the Iranian Space Agency, symbolizing Iran’s official participation in a major international space mission. Russia has previously launched several Iranian satellites, including Khayyam, Pars-1, and Hodhod.
This joint effort marks a strengthening of Iran-Russia space cooperation and positions Iran among nations capable of contributing to complex multinational satellite missions.
With resistance, road home is never lost: Georges Abdallah from Beirut
Lebanese freedom fighter Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, released after 41 years in French prisons, reaffirms his support for the Palestinian cause in a powerful speech from Beirut.
Lebanese freedom fighter Georges Ibrahim Abdallah made his first public statement as a free man at Beirut International Airport after his release from French prisons, where he was greeted by a massive crowd of supporters, along with several lawmakers and political figures.
Speaking publicly for the first time since his release, the Lebanese revolutionary Georges Ibrahim Abdallah reiterated his steadfast support for the Palestinian Resistance, a stance he had maintained unwaveringly throughout his 41 years behind bars, declaring, "With resistance, the road home is never lost."
Abdallah also emphasized that "today, more than ever, everyone must unite around the resistance," asserting that it is "firmly anchored in this land and cannot be eradicated."
"The resistance is not weak; it stands strong, drawing its might from its martyred leaders who crafted the struggle with their blood," he asserted.
Honoring the martyrs who gave their lives for the resistance, Abdallah described them as "the very foundation of all liberation struggles," stating solemnly, "We bow our heads in honor of the Resistance's martyrs."
Regarding detainees, Abdallah explained that "their resilience inside depends on our steadfastness outside," emphasizing the inseparable bond between incarcerated fighters and their supporters.
Palestine remains the core
Abdallah then spoke about occupied Palestine, the cause he has endorsed for decades, asserting that "the resistance there must intensify," adding that "the confrontation with the enemy must continue until liberation is achieved," as he stressed that "Israel" is now living out its final chapter.
"It is a shame, which will go down in history, how Arabs merely watch as the people of Palestine and Gaza suffer,” Abdallah remarked, lamenting that millions stand idly by in eerie silence while Palestinian children perish before their eyes.
He then addressed the Egyptian people directly, insisting that "the masses of Egypt hold the power to transform the situation in Gaza."
Abdallah's release came one day earlier than the original date, a move reportedly intended to prevent Abdallah from receiving a proper popular reception, while the French authorities prevented him from making any public statements before his departure.
122 Palestinians, including 83 children, killed by starvation in Gaza
With over 59,000 killed and starvation deaths mounting, Gaza faces a deepening crisis as aid remains blocked and civilians perish under relentless Israeli bombardment.
Hospitals received the bodies of 89 Palestinians killed, including 9 retrieved from under the rubble, and 467 injured in 24 hours, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on Friday. Many victims remain trapped beneath debris and along roads, unreachable due to continued bombardment.
Since October 7, 2023, as of July 25, 2025, the toll of the Israeli genocide in Gaza has surged to 59,676 Palestinians killed and 143,965 others injured.
The Israeli attacks since March 18, 2025, have added significantly to this toll, with 8,527 martyrs and 31,924 injuries recorded during this period alone.
Gaza Media Office: 122 dead from starvation, including 83 children
The Gaza Government Media Office announced Friday that the death toll from starvation and malnutrition in the besieged Strip, with the death of nine Palestinians, including two children, has risen to at least 122, among them 83 children, describing the situation as a “systematic starvation crime” committed by the Israeli occupation over 145 consecutive days of siege and deprivation.
Meanwhile, 9 starved Palestinians were killed and over 45 others were injured in just 24 hours while trying to receive aid at designated "aid distribution sites," as per the statement.
The death toll among Palestinians killed while seeking food aid in designated distribution zones has now climbed to 1,092, with more than 7,320 others wounded.
Calling the situation an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe “broadcast live to the world in both sound and image,” the Gaza Media Office appealed for immediate international action to end the famine and allow the entry of life-saving aid into the Strip. Authorities demanded the urgent delivery of 500 aid trucks and 50 fuel trucks daily, as well as the immediate supply of infant formula to address the growing crisis among newborns and infants.
“We demand the immediate halt of the famine, the opening of all crossings, and the urgent delivery of infant formula,” the statement read. “This is a systematic starvation crime targeting more than 2.4 million besieged and starving people.”
The statement further called for the establishment of an international investigative committee to probe the crime of deliberate starvation and for the arrest and prosecution of soldiers and commanders of the Israeli occupation forces in international courts for what it described as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Gaza Media Office also urged Arab and Islamic countries, alongside all free nations, to defy the blockade, break the siege, and establish safe humanitarian corridors to allow aid to enter Gaza.
It held the Israeli occupation fully accountable for the famine, while also placing blame on the US administration and allied countries, including the UK, Germany, and France, for their complicity in the ongoing genocide. The statement concluded with a global call to action, appealing to free peoples around the world to rise up and “stop this catastrophe before more lives are lost.”
UNICEF sounds alarm over starvation deaths among Gaza's children
In a similar vein, the UN Children’s Fund has issued a stark warning as the child death toll from starvation continues to climb in the besieged Gaza Strip.
“Children in the Gaza Strip are starving to death,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, in a statement released Friday.
UNICEF reports that severe malnutrition is spreading rapidly among Gaza’s children, outpacing humanitarian efforts. “Severe malnutrition is spreading among children faster than aid can reach them, and the world is watching it happen,” Beigbeder warned.
According to figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the number of children who have died from malnutrition has surged from 52 to 80 since April, a “staggering 54 per cent increase in less than three months.” At least four additional children were reported to have died from starvation in the past 48 hours alone.
In total, more than 100 people in Gaza have died due to hunger since the war began, with children accounting for a devastating 80 per cent of those deaths.
'Deaths are unconscionable'
“These deaths are unconscionable and could have been prevented,” Beigbeder said. He stressed the urgent need for “unfettered aid access to children in need” and the full implementation of the UN-led humanitarian response.
The situation is worsening rapidly. In June, 6,500 children were admitted for treatment of malnutrition, marking the highest number since the onset of the war. July’s figures are already alarming, with 5,000 children treated in the first two weeks alone. In Gaza City, the rate of acute malnutrition has quadrupled since February.
“UNICEF and partners remain in the Gaza Strip screening and treating children for malnutrition,” Beigbeder noted, but he emphasized that relief efforts require a “sustained and predictable flow of humanitarian and commercial supplies.”
He called for immediate access to fuel to support life-saving operations and underlined the urgent need to protect Gaza’s children. “Children must be protected – not killed, and not left to starve,” he stressed.
“We need a ceasefire...... And we need it now,” he concluded.
Israeli genocide continues unabated
Israeli forces continued their relentless assault on civilian areas across Gaza, striking homes, displacement shelters, and densely populated neighborhoods with mounting ferocity.
Israeli forces intensified their assault on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 11 Palestinians and injuring dozens more in a series of airstrikes and artillery attacks across the besieged enclave, according to Al Mayadeen's correspondent.
In southern Gaza, Israeli artillery targeted the al-Balad and western al-Satr neighborhoods of Khan Younis, while a deadly airstrike hit Cairo School in the al-Rimal neighborhood of western Gaza City. The school had been sheltering forcibly displaced families; five martyrs were confirmed in the attack, along with several wounded.
A separate Israeli airstrike on an apartment in central al-Rimal also caused multiple injuries, while in northeast Gaza City, civilians were wounded near al-Shawa Square in the al-Tuffah district.
In northern Rafah, a Palestinian was martyred near a US-affiliated aid center after reportedly being shot by Israeli forces. Elsewhere, at least four of the 11 martyrs reported so far were individuals waiting in line for aid.
Deepening humanitarian crisis
The humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate. Hundreds of children in displacement camps are suffering from untreated skin diseases due to the collapse of the healthcare system and a severe shortage of medical supplies, Al Mayadeen’s Gaza correspondent reported.
Hospitals in the Strip remain overwhelmed, struggling to cope with the influx of wounded Palestinians from daily bombings, alongside growing numbers of patients affected by famine and medical neglect.
The ongoing Israeli bombardment, amid a blockade that has paralyzed aid delivery, has further devastated an already collapsing infrastructure, as Palestinians in Gaza endure dire livin
