Iran’s Parliament Classifies All Israelis as Military Personnel; Mehr Threatens Melania Trump

Iran's parliament approved a bill recognizing all Israelis as combatants, while state-linked media published a video targeting the US first lady.

Iran’s Parliament Classifies All Israelis as Military Personnel; Mehr Threatens Melania Trump — Iran’s parliament on Monday approved an amendment to the bill ‘On Countering International Crimes’ that recognizes “all Zionists living in the occupied territories” as military personnel, according to a report by Cursorinfo.[^1] The vote was 128 in favor, 35 opposed, and two abstentions. The move effectively designates every Israeli as a combatant under Iranian law, a step that could have legal implications for Iran’s posture toward Israel. Separately, the Iranian news agency Mehr, affiliated with the regime, published a threatening video titled “Where to Kill Melania,” targeting the US first lady.[^2] The Tasnim agency, linked to the Revolutionary Guards, also released a video inciting violence against Melania Trump. The threats come as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed in Washington, D.C., ahead of a meeting with President Donald Trump.[^3] Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk responded ironically to the Iranian threats, saying: “Let them wash it down with cold water. They must be very hot there, and there's simply no water.”[^4] UN experts on Monday called on Iran to cancel death penalties imposed on 10 young men in a single hearing.[^5] The men were arrested during anti-regime protests; two others were executed on July 19. Iran executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, according to the UN. The parliament’s timing—approving the amendment amid a domestic crackdown—suggests Tehran is using external confrontation to deflect from internal unrest. IDF expands West Bank presence, faces internal friction and drone incursions — On July 25, an IDF soldier was beaten and his weapon stolen near Susiya in Judea. By Monday, security forces arrested four Palestinian suspects in connection with the incident.[^1] That same day, the IDF increased its West Bank deployment to 26 battalions, adding two battalions amid a sharp escalation marked by Palestinian terrorist attacks and attacks from settlers.[^5] The military's operational tempo is producing internal tensions. Reserve soldiers in the regional defense battalion (Hamar) refused an order to secure a police for