The United States has submitted a draft United Nations Security Council resolution that calls for lifting sanctions on Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the head of the HTS-led regime in Syria, ahead of his meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on November 10.

The draft resolution would also lift sanctions on Syria’s self-proclaimed interior minister, Anas Khattab, who was one of the leaders of the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group, Jabhat al-Nusra.

It was not immediately clear when the draft resolution, seen by Reuters on Tuesday, could be put to a vote.

The HTS, a former branch of al-Qaeda, along with other militants, seized control of Damascus on December 8, 2024, forcing former President Bashar al-Assad, a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, to leave the country.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently described how the Israeli military helped the HTS takeover of Syria in December.

Since May 2014, the HTS has been on the UN Security Council’s sanctions list.

Its leader, Jolani and Khattab are among several HTS members who are also under UN sanctions that include a travel ban, asset freeze, and arms embargo.

However, a Security Council sanctions committee has been regularly granting Jolani travel exemptions this year.

Thus, the HTS leader is still likely to be able to travel to Washington even if the US-drafted resolution is not adopted before Monday.

In May, Trump announced that all US sanctions on Syria would be lifted.

Trump made the announcement in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, during his visit to the kingdom, where he met with al-Jolani, who expressed readiness to normalize ties between Damascus and Tel Aviv.

Press TV’s website

As New York City heads into its mayoral election, US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut federal funding if voters elect Muslim candidate Zohran Mamdani.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he would be reluctant to send more than “the very minimum” level of federal support to New York if Mamdani, whom he accused of being a “communist”, wins the race.

“It’s gonna be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York,” Trump said. “Because if you have a communist running New York, all you’re doing is wasting the money you’re sending there.”

“I don’t want to send, as President, good money after bad,” he added.

Trump instead urged New Yorkers to vote for former governor Andrew Cuomo, now running as an Independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani.

“Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice,” Trump wrote. “You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it, Mamdani is not.”

Mamdani dismissed the president’s remark, saying, "It is a threat. It is not the law." He also reiterated that he is a Democratic socialist, not a communist.

Cuomo said Trump’s words did not constitute an endorsement. “He’s not endorsing me. He’s opposing Mamdani.”

Opinion polls show Mamdani leading Cuomo, with Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa trailing far behind. Trump declined to back Sliwa, saying, “A vote for Curtis Sliwa … is a vote for Mamdani.”

If elected, Mamdani would become New York City’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest in more than a century.

Meanwhile, Trump has deployed National Guard units to Democratic-led cities as part of a policing crackdown, and sought to deny resources to cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Press TV’s website

Muslim lawmaker Zohran Mamdani has been elected as the 111th mayor of New York, the first person of South Asian descent and the first person born in Africa to lead the largest city in the United States.

The 34-year-old mayoral candidate and assemblyman from Queens emerged victorious in the race on Tuesday to lead New York after polls closed in a heated contest that grabbed the world’s attention.

Mamdani outperformed his chief opponent — former governor Andrew Cuomo — with at least 50 percent of support after 85 percent of the votes had been counted.

"We are on the brink of making history in our city. On the brink of saying goodbye to a politics of the past. A politics that tells you what it can't do, and really what it means to say is what it won't do, and to usher in a new era," Mamdani told reporters earlier in the day.

"We do not get to choose the scale of the crisis we face. We simply get to choose the manner in which we respond," he added.

The Democratic lawmaker promised rent control and free bus travel - a platform funded by a proposed increase in taxes on the wealthiest residents of New York City.

According to data, Mamdani's stance on Israel and Palestine helped him seal the primary win, despite smears of antisemitism for his views on the war, which is now widely bashed as genocide.

Cuomo did not mince words on Tuesday as he cast his ballot, calling it a “civil war in the Democratic Party that has been brewing for a while.”

“You have an extreme radical left that is run by the socialists that is challenging, quote unquote, moderate Democrats,” said Cuomo, who ran as an independent after losing the Democratic primary in June to Mamdani. “And that contest is what you’re seeing here.”

Hours later he conceded defeat, telling supporters at his own election watch party “tonight was their night.”

Mamdani is an immigrant from his birthplace of Uganda, where his Indian-origin father was raised. His mother is Indian.

On January 1, 2026, he will be sworn in to run the largest and most diverse city in the United States with a population of 8.5 million.

According to the City Board of Elections, of the 4.7 million registered voters there, more than two million people voted in this election. This is the first time this has happened since 1969, and far surpasses the numbers from the 2001 election, which was held just weeks after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The New York Times reported that more than 735,000 New Yorkers cast early ballots ahead of Tuesday, making that the highest early in-person turnout ever in a non-presidential election year.

 Only 1.15 million voters cast ballots in the last race in 2021.           

Press TV’s website

Israeli forces have demolished a number of Palestinian homes in Gaza City and the southern flanks of the coastal sliver amid ongoing violations of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas that came into effect in early October, and at the same time, continued their raids throughout the occupied West Bank.

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that Israeli forces launched heavy gunfire east of Gaza City on Sunday morning, while simultaneously demolishing residential buildings in the neighborhoods of al-Zaytoun and al-Shuja’iyya.

In the eastern flank of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, Israeli artillery shelling and gunfire also persisted. They were accompanied by demolitions of several residential structures.

Israeli warplanes also launched three airstrikes on the border town of Rafah. There were no immediate reports available about possible casualties and the extent of damage caused.

On Saturday, Israeli fighter jets, along with artillery and tanks, targeted areas surrounding Khan Younis. The regime’s military destroyed residential structures located east of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.

Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed at least 222 Palestinians and left 594 others injured since the ceasefire was implemented, as reported by the Ministry of Health in the region.

Even though aid deliveries have ramped up since the truce was enacted, Palestinians in Gaza still struggle with severe shortages of food, water, medicine, and other essential supplies due to Israeli restrictions.

A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated on Thursday that the UN’s humanitarian office has reported that aid collection efforts have been “restricted” as a result of rerouting measures imposed by Israeli authorities.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces carried out a raid on the Palestinian city of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank, according to local news outlets.

The assault was the second of its kind within an hour, and occupation troops stormed the city from the Beit Furik checkpoint.

Elsewhere in the village of Kafr Ein, northwest of Ramallah, Israeli forces broke into a house and arrested 14-year-old Abdullah Malik Dar al-Eis. They also assaulted his family.

Since the onset of Israel’s genocidal war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, Israeli settler and military attacks have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 10,000 others, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Palestinian property has been targeted over 2,400 times in the past two years, resulting in the displacement of at least 3,055 individuals.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is illegal and urged the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds.

Press TV’s website

Iran’s under-17 robotics team has won the Asian Robotics Championship in Thailand, claiming the top overall title ahead of strong contenders from China and South Korea.

The Iranian delegation achieved outstanding results across multiple categories on Sunday, earning two bronze medals in the Navigation League and one gold, four silvers, and one bronze in the Creativity League.

These victories secured Iran’s position as the overall champion of the competition.

The event, held in Thailand, brought together elite young robotics teams from across Asia to compete in innovation, engineering design, and autonomous navigation challenges.

This victory marks Iran’s second consecutive Asian championship, following a previous triumph in Malaysia.

Students and coaches celebrated their success during the closing ceremony, where organizers commended the Iranian team’s creativity and teamwork.

The nine-member team is expected to return home on Wednesday night.

The win reinforces Iran’s rising profile in international youth robotics competitions and highlights the expanding role of Iranian students in advancing technological innovation across the region.

Press TV’s website

More than three million years of human life have been lost in Gaza since Israel launched its genocidal war on the besieged territory in October 2023, a new study has found.

The Lancet medical journal published the findings of a research, calculating that each of the 60,199 Palestinians killed between October 

More than three million years of human life have been lost in Gaza since Israel launched its genocidal war on the besieged territory in October 2023, a new study has found.

The Lancet medical journal published the findings of a research, calculating that each of the 60,199 Palestinians killed between October 7, 2023, and July 31, 2025, resulted in an average loss of 51 years of life.

The authors, Sammy Zahran of Colorado State University and Ghassan Abu-Sittah of the American University of Beirut, said the vast majority of life-years lost were among civilians, “even under the relaxed definition of a supposed combatant involving all men and boys of possible conscription age (15–44 years).”

More than one million life-years were lost among children under the age of 15, the study found.

Researchers said that the calculation only accounts for direct deaths from Israeli attacks, excluding those killed by destroyed infrastructure, starvation, dehydration, disease, and the collapse of Gaza’s medical system.

The Israeli regime kills an average of 10 Palestinians per day in the Gaza Strip since October 10, a human rights organization reports.

A previous Lancet study earlier this year revealed that Gaza’s death toll had been severely underreported, estimating the real number of fatalities to be at least 40 percent higher than officially recorded due to Israel’s systematic destruction of health-care infrastructure and record-keeping capacity.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported on Saturday that at least 68,527 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza over the past two years, with thousands more believed to be missing beneath rubble or lying in areas rescue crews cannot reach amid widespread destruction and continued danger.

More than two-thirds of the total deaths were women and children, according to the local authorities, who say they were often killed with their families in Israeli airstrikes.

Press TV’s website

President Masoud Pezeshkian has emphasized that Iran’s expansion of its peaceful nuclear industry is aimed at enhancing the nation’s welfare, not acquiring weapons.

He made the remarks on Sunday during a meeting with senior managers at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) after visiting an exhibition showcasing the latest nuclear achievements in the fields of healthcare, medicine, and production of radiopharmaceuticals.

Pezeshkian said biased propaganda and narratives are meant to insinuate that nuclear activities are synonymous with developing atomic bombs.

“However, the nuclear industry is a vast collection of scientific and industrial capacities and only a tiny fraction of its disproportionate and inhumane consequences relates to bomb-making,” he added.

“Our intention and determination in expanding this industry is to meet the needs of the people and enhance the welfare of our country, not to produce weapons.”

The Iranian president also noted that harnessing modern technologies and entering the global competitive arena is vital for the country at a time when arrogant powers are seeking to deprive independent nations of access to advanced technologies and keep them confined to assembly industries.

He further stressed that hostilities against Iran and the assassination of its scientists stem from the major powers’ concern about the country’s scientific and technological independence.

“We have repeatedly declared that building nuclear weapons is not on our agenda—and they (the world powers) know this. Yet they use false claims as a pretext to hinder Iran’s progress,” he said.

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly underscored that its defense doctrine excludes nuclear weapons entirely as per a fatwa (binding religious decree) issued by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei.

Additionally, in his remarks, Pezeshkian honored the memory of martyrs of June’s illegal Israeli-US aggression against Iran, especially nuclear scientists, describing their efforts as a form of “scientific jihad (endeavor for the sake of God) and sincere service to the nation.”

Israel launched its blatant and unprovoked aggression against Iran on June 13, triggering a 12-day war that killed at least 1,064 people in the country, including civilians, military commanders, and nuclear scientists.

The United States also entered the war by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites in a grave violation of international law.

In response, the Iranian Armed Forces targeted strategic sites across the occupied territories as well as the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest American military base in West Asia.

On June 24, Iran, through its successful retaliatory operations against both the Israeli regime and the US, managed to impose a halt to the terrorist assault.

Press TV’s website

The Prophet (S) said: "Even if the entire duration of the world’s existence has already been exhausted and only one day is left (before the day of judgment), Allah will expand that day to such a length of time, as to accommodate the kingdom of a person from my Ahlul-Bayt who will be called by my name. He will fill out the earth with peace and justice as it will have been full of injustice and tyranny (by then)."

Sunni References:

• Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v2, p86, v9, pp 74-75

• Sunan Abu Dawud, v2, p7

• Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v1, pp 84,376; V3, p63

• al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihayn, by al-Hakim, v4, p557

• Jami’ al-Saghir, by al-Suyuti, pp 2,160

• al-Urful Wardi, by al-Suyuti, p2

• al-Majma’, by al-Tabarani, p217

• Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, v9, p144

• Fat’h al-Bari fi Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, by Ibn Hajar Asqalani, v7, p305

• al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p249

• al-Tathkirah, by al-Qurtubi, p617

• al-Hawi, by al-Suyuti, v2, pp 165-166

• Sharh al-Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah, by al-Zurqani, v5, p348

• Fat’h al-Mugheeth, by al-Sakhawi, v3, p41

• Kanz al-Ummal, v7 P186

• Iqd al-Durar Fi Akhbar al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, v12, Ch. 1,

• al-Bayan fi Akhbar Sahib al-Zaman, By Ganji al-Shafi’i, Ch. 12

• al-Fusool al-Muhimmah, by Ibn Sabbagh al-Maliki, Ch. 12

• Arjahul Matalib, by Ubaidallah Hindi al-Hanafi, p380

• Muqaddimah, by Ibn Khaldoon, p266

• and also in the works of Ibn Habban, Abu Nua’ym, Ibn Asakir, etc.

Also:

The Prophet (S) said: "al-Mahdi is one of us, the members of the household (Ahlul-Bayt)."

Sunni reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #4085

The Prophet (S) said: The Mahdi will be of my family, of the descendants of Fatimah (the Prophet’s daughter).

Sunni references:

• Sunan Abu Dawud, English version, Ch. 36, Tradition #4271 (narrated by Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet)

• Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #4086

• al-Nisa’i and al-Bayhaqi, and others as quoted in:

• al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p249

Also:

The Prophet (S) said: "We the children of Abd al-Muttalib are the Masters of the inhabitants of the heaven: Myself, Hamza (ra), ‘Ali (as), Ja’far Ibn Abi Talib (ra), al-Hasan (as), al-Husayn (as), and al-Mahdi (as)."

Sunni references:

• Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #4087

• al-Mustadrak, by al-Hakim, on the authority of Anas Ibn Malik

• al-Daylami

• al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p245

The Prophet (S) said: "We (I and my family) are members of a household that Allah (SWT) has chosen for them the life of the Hereafter over the life of this world; and the members of my household (Ahlul-Bayt) shall suffer a great affliction and they shall be forcefully expelled from their homes after my death; then there will come people from the East carrying black flags, and they will ask for some good to be given to them, but they shall be refused service; as such, they will wage war and emerge victorious, and will be offered that which they desired in the first place, but they will refuse to accept it till they pass it to a man from my family (Ahlul-Bayt) appears to fill the Earth with justice as it has been filled with corruption. So whoever reaches that (time) ought to come to them even if crawling on the ice/snow since among them is the Vice-regent of Allah (Khalifatullah) al-Mahdi."

Sunni references:

• Sunan Ibn Majah, v2, Tradition #4082,

The Messenger of Allah said: "The world will not perish until a man among the Arabs appears whose name matches my name."

Sunni reference: Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v9, p74

Abu Sa’id and Jabir Ibn Abdullah reported that Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: "There would be in the last (phase) of the time a Caliph who would distribute wealth but would not count."

Sunni references:

• Sahih Muslim, English version, v4, chapter MCCV, p1508, Tradition #6964

• Sahih Muslim, Arabic version, Kitab al-Fitan, v4, p2235, Tradition #69

It is also narrated:

Moreover, it is narrated that:

‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "When the ‘Support’ of the family of Muhammad (al-Qa’im Aale Muhammad) rises Allah will unite the people of east and the people of west."

Sunni references:

• Ibn Asakir, as quoted in:

• al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p252

Ibn Hajar wrote that:

Muqatil Ibn Sulayman and those who followed him among the (Sunni) commentators of Qur’an said that the verse: "And he shall be a Sign for (the coming of) the Hour”(Qur’an 43:61) was revealed about al-Mahdi.

Sunni reference: al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar, Ch. 11, section 1, p247

Also Ahmad Ibn Hanbal recorded:

The Prophet (S) said: "Allah will bring out from concealment al-Mahdi from my Family and just before the Day of Judgment; even if only one day were to remain in the life of the world, and he will spread on this earth justice and equity and will eradicate tyranny and oppression."

Sunni references:

• Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v1, p99

• A close version has also been narrated in Sunan Abu Dawud, English version, Ch. 36, Tradition #4270 narrated from ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib (as).

It is narrated in Sahih Muslim that:

Jabir Ibn Abdillah al-Ansari (ra) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: "A group of my Ummah will fight for the truth until near the day of judgment when Jesus, the son of Marry, will descend, and the leader of them will ask him to lead the prayer, but Jesus declines, saying: "No, Verily, among you Allah has made leaders for others and He has bestowed his bounty upon them."

Sunni reference:

• Sahih Muslim, Arabic, part 2, p193

• Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v3, pp 45,384

• al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p251

• Nuzool Isa Ibn Maryam Akhir al-Zaman, by Jalaluddin al-Suyuti, p57

• Musnad, by Abu Ya’ala which provides another version of the tradition with more clear words on the authority of Jabir that the Messenger of Allah said: "A group among my Ummah will continue to fight for the truth until Jesus, the son of Marry, will descend, and the Imam of them will ask him to lead the prayer, but Jesus replies: "You have more right to it, and verily Allah has honored some of you over others in this Ummah."

• Sahih Ibn Habban, whose tradition reads: "their leader al-Mahdi”and the rest of tradition is the same.

• Ibn Abu Shaybah, another Sunni traditionist, and the mentor of al-Bukhari and Muslim, has reported several traditions about Imam al-Mahdi (as). He has also reported that the Imam of the Muslims who will lead Prophet Jesus in prayer is Imam al-Mahdi himself.

Jalaluddin al-Suyuti mentioned that: "I have heard some of the deniers of (truth) deny what has been conveyed about Jesus that when he descends will pray the Fajr prayer behind al-Mahdi. They say, Jesus has higher status than to pray behind a non-Prophet.

This is a bizarre opinion since the issue of prayer of Jesus behind al-Mahdi has been proven strongly via numerous authentic traditions from the Messenger of Allah, who is the most truthful.”And then al-Suyuti goes on narrating some of the traditions in this regard. (See Nuzool Isa Ibn Maryam Akhir al-Zaman, by Jalaluddin al-Suyuti, p56).

Also al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani mentioned that:

"The Mahdi is of this Ummah, and that Jesus (S) will come down and pray behind him."

Sunni reference: Fat’h al-Bari, by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, v5, p362

This is also mentioned by another Sunni scholar, Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, who wrote:

"The Ahlul-Bayt are like the stars through whom we are guided in the right direction, and if the starts are taken away (or hidden) we would come face to face with the signs of the Almighty as promised (i.e., the Day of Resurrection). This will happen when the Mahdi will come, as mentioned in the traditions, and the Prophet Jesus will say his prayers behind him, the Dajjal will be slain, and then the signs of the Almighty will appear one after another."

Sunni reference: al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar, Ch. 11, section 1, p234

Also Ibn Hajar quoted Abu al-Husayn al-Ajiri saying:

The traditions of al-Mustafa (S) on the rising of al-Mahdi has been transmitted via numerous authorities and is more than the level of (being sufficient for) Mutawatir, describing that he is of his Ahlul-Bayt, and will fill the earth with justice, and that Jesus (as) will come at the same time and he will assist Jesus for killing al-Dajjal in the land of Palestine, and that he will lead this nation and Jesus will pray behind him.

Sunni reference:

• Abu al-Husayn al-Ajiri as quoted in al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar, Ch. 11, section 1, p254

So if al-Mahdi and Jesus are to be the same person as some ignorants claim, then how can one prays behind himself?! Moreover this shows that Imam al-Mahdi and Jesus (the Messiah) will come at the same time so that they could pray the morning prayer together in Jerusalem.

In fact, the equivalent word of "Messiah”in Arabic is "al-Maseeh”which means "Wiped Clean; Purified". This word has been used in Qur’an as the title of Prophet Jesus (as). As such, the "Messiah”is the Prophet Jesus (as) and not the Imam al-Mahdi (as).

However, the word "Messiah”in English has another meaning, that is "savior". As a result, there have been some English translators who used the word "Messiah”for Imam al-Mahdi (as) with the meaning of "Savior”which does NOT have anything to do with Arabic word "al-Maseeh".

I should point out that, there exists a fabricated tradition which is mainly used by Ahmadis and Qadianis to prove that al-Mahdi and Jesus are the same. The tradition states: "And no Mahdi except Jesus.”

This tradition has been rated by al-Hakim as unknown and strange and he said there are discrepancy in its chain of authorities. al-Bayhaqi said Muhammad Ibn Khalid said this tradition is single (Mufrad). al-Nisa’i has mentioned that this tradition is unfamiliar and is denied, and that the memorizers of traditions confirm that the traditions which state that al-Mahdi is the descendants of Fatimah are authentic and reliable. (See al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, Ch. 11, section 1, p252 for details).

Prophet Jesus is not the Imam of Muslims, and when he comes back, he will be the follower of the Imam of Muslims who is known as Imam al-Mahdi (as).

In Sahih al-Bukhari, it is narrated that:

The Prophet (S) said: "What would be your situation if the Son of Marry (i.e. Jesus) descends upon you and your Imam is among you?"

Sunni reference:

• Sahih al-Bukhari, Arabic-English, v4, Tradition #658

NOTE: The above is my own translation. The Saudi-paid translator of Sahih al-Bukhari (Muhammad Muhsin Khan) has shown pure dishonesty in translating the above tradition. His translation of the last portion of the tradition does not bear any similarity what so ever with the Arabic text of the tradition which is as follows:

كيف أنتم إذا نزل اْبنُ مريم فيكم و إمامكم منكم؟

Now let us look at the false translation of Mr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan:

Sahih Bukhari Hadith: 4.658

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah’s Apostle said "How will you be when the son of Mary (i.e. Jesus) descends amongst you and he will judge people by the Law of the Qur’an and not by the law of Gospel.

Mr. Muhsin Khan has trimmed the last part of the tradition which states that the Imam of Muslims (i.e., Imam al-Mahdi) is among Muslims when the son of marry descends. Instead, the translator has added another sentence which does not exists in the Arabic text. I should mention that this is not the only place that he has altered the text, and there are much more examples in this regard which proves his bias and his dishonesty.

Al-Hafidh Muhammad Ibn ‘Ali al-Shawkani (d. 1250/1834) wrote in a book called "al-Tawdhih fi twawatur ma jaa’a fil muntadar wad-djjal wal masih”(the explanation about the frequent reports concerning the Awaited one, the Dajjal, and the messiah) in which he wrote about Imam al-Mahdi (as) that: "The traditions about al-Mahdi have been related by numerous authorities and are therefor reliable beyond doubt or confusion, because in jurisprudence the qualification of Mutawatir is valid even for (traditions) with less than this number of narrations.

There are also many sayings of the companions (of the Prophet) which explicitly mention the Mahdi, which have the status of narrations from the Prophet since there is no question of establishing such saying through Ijtihad (one’s opinion and research)". The author gives the same opinion in his other book "al-Fat’h al-Rabbani". (In this connection see also Mawsu’atil Imam al-Mahdi, v1, pp 391-392,413-414,434, and also Tuhfatul Ahwadhi, v6, p485).

The author of the book, "Ghayah al-Ma’amool,”mentioned that: "It is a famous narration among the Scholars of the past and the present that there has to appear a man from the family of the Prophet (S) named al-Mahdi. In addition, the traditions about the Mahdi have been narrated by the most renowned companions of the Prophet (S), as well as by the most renowned scholars such as Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, al-Tabarani, Abu Ya’ala, al-Bazzar, Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, and al-Hakim (May Allah be pleased with them all); furthermore, those who claim that the traditions narrated with regard to the appearance of the Mahdi are weak, are themselves in error."

Al-Saban in his book, "Is’af al-Raghibeen,”mentioned that: "The news about the appearance of the Mahdi are traceable back to the Prophet (S), and that he is one of the members of the family of the Prophet (S); and that he will fill the Earth with justice."

This statement was accepted by the subsequent scholars as testified by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (See Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, v9, p144; Fat’h al-Bari, v7, p305), al-Qurtubi (al-Tathkirah, p617), al-Suyuti (al-Hawi, v2, pp 165-166), al-Muttaqi al-Hindi (al-Burhan fi Alamat Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, pp 175-176), Ibn Hajar al-Haythami (al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, Ch. 11, section 1, p249), al-Zurqani (Sharh al-Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah, v5, p348), al-Sakhawi (Fat’h al-Mugheeth, v3, p41), etc.

The above quote proves that even Ibn Khaldoon was in the opinion that the belief in Imam al-Mahdi was not a characteristic of a special sect of Islam, but was a common belief to ALL Muslims.

Sunni scholars openly criticized those elements (like Ibn Khaldoon) who tried to cast doubt the traditions about al-Mahdi (as), and have strongly asserted that the belief in Mahdi is well-established for ALL Muslims. See for instance: "Awnul Ma’bud”(which is the commentary of Sunan Abu Dawud), by al-Azimabadi, v11, pp 361-362, Tuhfatul Ahwadhi (which is the commentary of Sahih al-Tirmidhi), by al-Mubarakfuri, v6, p484, al-Tajul Jami’ lil Usul, by Shaikh Mansoor ‘Ali Nasif, v5, p341.

Two Shafi’i scholars, Ganji in his book "al-Bayan", and Shablanji in his book "Noor al-Absar", on the verse 48:28 of Qur’an: "He is the One who sent his Messenger (Muhammad) with the guidance and the true religion that in order to prevail over all the religions”narrated from Sa’id Ibn Jubair that "this promise to Prophet Muhammad will be fulfilled by al-Mahdi who is in the progeny of Fatimah (sa)."

Even Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728/1328), who is acclaimed by the Wahhabis, wrote in his book "Minhaj al-Sunnah”(v4, pp 211-212) that the traditions concerning the Mahdi are certainly reliable, and his student, al-Dhahabi, conformed with him in his summary of his teacher’s book. (See Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Sunnah, pp 533-534).

As far as we have been able to discover, at least 35 prominent Sunni scholars have written 46 of books exclusively about Imam al-Mahdi (as), the leader of our time. Here are some of the name of some of these books:

(1) "Kitab al-Mahdi,”by Abu Dawud.

(2)"Alamat al-Mahdi,”by Jalaluddin al-Suyuti.

(3)"al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar,”by Ibn Hajar.

(4)"Al-Bayan fi Akhbar Sahib al-Zaman,”by Allamah Abu Abdillah Ibn Muhammad Yusuf al-Ganji al-Shafi’i.

(5)"Iqd al-Durar fi Akbar al-Imam al-Muntadhar,”by Shaikh Jamaluddin Yusuf al-Damishqi.

(6)"Mahdi Aale Rasool,”by ‘Ali Ibn Sultan Muhammad al-Harawi al-Hanafi.

(7)"Manaqib al-Mahdi,”by al-Hafidh Abu Nu’aym al-Isbahani.

(8)"Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman,”by al-Muttaqi al-Hindi.

(9)"Arba’in Hadith fi al-Mahdi,”by Abdul Ala al-Hamadani.

(10)"Akhbar al-Mahdi,”by al-Hafidh Abu Nu’aym.

In conclusion, the belief in the coming Mahdi (as) who is a person other than Jesus (as), is an undeniable fact for the Sunnis. As we discussed above, the Sunni scholars affirm that belief in "Mahdi of the House of the Prophet”is one of the Islamic tenets for "Ahlussunnah wal Jama’a". In the next part, however, we will discuss the points of differences between the Shi’a and most Sunnis on the issue of Imam al-Mahdi.

By Ivan Kesic

Tensions are escalating dramatically in the Western hemisphere amid US President Donald Trump’s military buildup in the Caribbean and sabre-rattling against the Venezuelan government led by Nicolas Maduro.

The Trump administration has radically pivoted from a policy of sanctions and diplomatic pressure to one of overt military confrontation, framing its actions under the banner of a "war on drugs."

This strategic shift has been heavily influenced by hawkish figures within the administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who have been advocating for a more belligerent approach that sidelines pragmatic considerations like the oil deals previously negotiated.

The US government has made serious but unsubstantiated accusations against President Maduro, designating him and key military figures as part of the "Cartel de los Soles," a so-called narco-trafficking network, and has even placed a multi-million dollar bounty on Maduro's head.

These provocative actions have been compounded by a series of direct military moves, including the deployment of a significant naval task force to the Caribbean, featuring advanced assets like the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group, F-35 stealth fighters, and a nuclear submarine.

The situation has been further militarized by confirmed US airstrikes on vessels in international waters that Washington alleges are involved in drug smuggling, resulting in dozens of casualties and which United Nations experts have condemned as illegal extrajudicial executions.

This overt military posturing has been matched by confirmed covert actions, with President Trump himself acknowledging CIA operations inside Venezuela, a move that suggests a comprehensive campaign aimed at “regime change” in Caracas.

In response, the Maduro government has mobilized its own defenses, declared hundreds of "battlefronts," and sought to deepen its strategic alliance with Russia, ratifying a new partnership agreement that signals a clear alignment with a major US adversary.

Critics of the US approach argue that the "narco-terrorism" justification is a thin pretext for a wider imperialist project, noting that Venezuela is not a primary transit route for cocaine entering the US and produces no fentanyl, thereby exposing the underlying motivations of securing control over Venezuela's vast oil reserves and enforcing a neoconservative ideology.

The hawkish US policy has drawn significant domestic and international criticism for its potential to trigger a catastrophic humanitarian disaster, displace millions more people, and violate international law without a congressional declaration of war, recklessly prioritizing regime change over regional stability and diplomatic solutions.

What are Venezuela’s military capabilities?

In the face of American threats, Venezuela has vowed to stand firm against any bullying. In his remarks earlier this week, Maduro said the US is “fabricating a new eternal war” against him.

“They are fabricating an extravagant narrative, a vulgar, criminal and totally fake one,” Maduro said in a national broadcast. “Venezuela is a country that does not produce cocaine leaves.”

The South American country possesses a layered and technologically diverse air defense network that would present a formidable challenge to any potential military aggression.

The cornerstone of this defensive shield is the Russian-made S-300VM system, a highly capable long-range surface-to-air missile platform that forms the strategic backbone of the Bolivarian Army's anti-access capabilities.

With an engagement range exceeding 200 kilometers, the S-300VM can threaten a wide array of high-value aerial assets, including fighter aircraft, surveillance planes like the AWACS, and even aerial refueling tankers, forcing US pilots to operate at a significant distance or risk engagement.

This system is complemented at the medium-range tier by the Buk-M2E, a highly mobile and autonomous surface-to-air system that is particularly effective against low-flying aircraft, unmanned drones, and cruise missiles, and its proven combat performance in other theaters underscores its lethal potential.

The Venezuelan military further augments its defenses with numerous upgraded S-125 Pechora-2M systems, which, while based on a legacy Soviet design, have been modernized and mounted on mobile launchers, allowing them to pose a credible threat to aircraft operating at medium altitudes without sophisticated electronic warfare support.

The sheer mobility of these Russian-supplied systems, from the tracked transporters of the S-300VM to the wheeled launchers of the Buk-M2E and Pechora-2M, constitutes one of their greatest strategic assets, enabling them to pop up without warning from concealed positions and making them exceptionally difficult to detect, target, and destroy in a preemptive strike.

This unpredictable deployment pattern creates a pervasive threat environment that would complicate even the most carefully laid US military plans and scenarios, demanding a significant allocation of defense suppression assets.

The defensive depth continues into the lower tiers, where the Venezuelan armed forces deploy a dense array of point-defense weapons, including hundreds of ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns for engaging helicopters and low-flying targets, and a vast inventory of advanced man-portable air defense systems like the Russian Igla-S.

With an estimated stockpile of 5,000 Igla-S missiles, Venezuelan forces can generate localized zones of high risk for any aircraft operating at low altitudes, severely complicating close air support and combat search and rescue operations.

The Venezuelan Air Force, though smaller, contributes a potent aerial deterrent with its fleet of 21 Sukhoi Su-30MK2V Flanker fighters, advanced multirole aircraft capable of engaging US forces with beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles like the R-77 and supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, presenting a credible threat to American naval vessels operating near the coast.

This integrated defensive architecture was recently showcased in major nationwide air defense drills, the largest since 2019, which demonstrated a state of high readiness and a coordinated response to the perceived threat from the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group.

While the Venezuelan command-and-control network may lack the seamless integration of a NATO-standard system, the autonomy and mobility of its key air defense units ensure a resilient and distributed capacity to resist.

The demonstrated effectiveness of even rudimentary air defenses in other wars, such as Yemen's defense campaign against the Saudi-led military coalition, serves as a stark reminder that technologically superior forces can still suffer losses against determined and well-equipped defenders.

Any US air campaign would therefore rely heavily on stealth aircraft and costly standoff munitions, dedicate immense resources to the dangerous mission of suppressing air defenses, and prepare for potential combat losses, ensuring that a military confrontation would be neither swift nor cost-free.

How are Venezuelan strategic calculations?

The deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to the waters near Venezuela provides the US military with a formidable platform for launching rapid, precision strikes using carrier-based aircraft and Tomahawk cruise missiles from escorting destroyers.

This forward deployment signals a clear and immediate capacity to initiate a significant air campaign aimed at crippling Venezuelan command centers, air defense sites, and critical infrastructure.

The presence of Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighters in Puerto Rico further enhances this capability, offering a penetrating strike and reconnaissance asset designed to operate in contested airspace, though these very aircraft are likely already being tracked by Venezuelan radar as they patrol the coast.

The stated US objective of countering “narcotics trafficking,” however, serves as a strategically misleading and legally contentious justification for a military buildup of this magnitude, one that appears disproportionately large for targeting illicit drug shipments and instead aligns more closely with a strategy of “regime change,” as per experts.

This aggressive posture risks triggering a regional conflagration that could draw in other actors and destabilize neighboring countries like Colombia and Brazil, which would bear the brunt of a new wave of refugees fleeing the violence.

The recent strengthening of military ties between Caracas and Moscow introduces an additional layer of strategic complexity, potentially providing Venezuela with enhanced intelligence sharing, technical support, and diplomatic backing that could complicate US operational planning.

Within the US, the hawkish policy is not universally endorsed, facing criticism from figures who point to the lack of concrete evidence, the absence of congressional authorization, and the haunting echoes of past military quagmires like Iraq.

The Venezuelan military's strategy appears focused not on achieving victory in a prolonged, all-out war with the United States, but on imposing a significant tactical cost during the initial phases of any intervention.

By leveraging its mobile and layered air defenses, Venezuela aims to degrade US air superiority, delay the establishment of a permissive environment for sustained operations, and potentially down American aircraft in the early hours of a conflict.

The goal of such a deterrent posture is to raise the perceived political and human price of an invasion to a level that US policymakers would find unacceptable, thereby preventing an attack through the credible threat of a painful and protracted confrontation.

The ongoing crisis thus represents a dangerous game of brinkmanship, where the motivations for intervention are questioned by many, the defensive capabilities of the target nation are substantial, and the potential for miscalculation on both sides threatens to plunge the region into a devastating conflict with unforeseeable humanitarian and geopolitical consequences.

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