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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian enacted a law passed by the country’s parliament last week that would end Tehran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 

The legislation was approved within days of the U.S. carrying out Operation Midnight Hammer, in which it struck three major nuclear sites in Iran: Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow.

The law stipulates that any future inspection of Iran’s nuclear facilities by the IAEA must be approved by the country’s Supreme National Security Council, according to Reuters. Iran maintains that the IAEA sided with the U.S. and Israel in the recent conflict. Additionally, Tehran claims that the IAEA’s resolution in early June paved the way for Israel’s strikes.

Pezeshkian’s order reportedly had no timetable or details about what the suspension of cooperation would entail, The Associated Press reported.

IAEA head of Media, Multimedia and Public Outreach Section and spokesperson Fredrik Dahl told Fox News Digital that the agency was still awaiting confirmation from Iran.

Nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran have been on pause since Israel launched Operation Rising Lion. Iran then wavered on whether it would continue the talks, claiming that the U.S. was complicit in Israel’s actions. However, President Donald Trump appeared hopeful that the two countries would return to the table, even after the U.S.’ historic strikes. On June 25, the president told reporters that the U.S. would talk with Iran the following week.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently told CBS News that ‘the doors for diplomacy will never slam shut.’ However, he also cast doubt on Trump’s timeline for when talks would resume.

‘I don’t think negotiations will restart as quickly as that,’ Araghchi told CBS News. ‘In order for us to decide to reengage, we will have to first ensure that America will not revert back to targeting us in a military attack during the negotiations.’

While Trump’s critics have argued that the administration has exaggerated the extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear sites, parties involved in the conflict seemingly agreed on the status of the facilities. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei acknowledged that the sites were ‘badly damaged’ in an interview with Al Jazeera. 

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Group Eleven Resources Corp. (TSXV: ZNG) (OTCQB: GRLVF) (FSE: 3GE) (‘Group Eleven’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce the latest step-out drill results from the Zn-Pb-Ag horizon at its Ballywire discovery (‘Ballywire’) at the 100%-owned PG West Project (‘PG West’), Republic of Ireland. Drilling at Ballywire’s deeper, Cu-Ag target is in progress (to be reported in due course).

Highlights:

  • 25-3552-35 (a 50m step-out to the NE from previous drilling, along the Zn-Pb-Ag horizon) intersected:
    • 53.9m of 7.9% Zn+Pb (4.7% Zn and 3.2% Pb), 99 g/t Ag and 0.20% Cu, including
    • 39.7m of 9.5% Zn+Pb (5.6% Zn and 3.9% Pb), 131 g/t Ag and 0.27% Cu, including
    • 18.3m of 16.1% Zn+Pb (8.9% Zn and 7.2% Pb), 233 g/t Ag and 0.42% Cu, including
    • 5.6m of 16.6% Zn+Pb (8.0% Zn and 8.5% Pb), 370 g/t Ag and 0.86% Cu
    • True thickness is estimated to be 90-100% of the intervals noted above and below
  • Three Cu-Ag enriched zones were also intersected below the above intercept in the same hole:
    • 5.5m of 3.2% Zn+Pb (0.9% Zn and 2.2% Pb), 209 g/t Ag and 0.49% Cu, including
      • 0.9m of 2.1% Zn+Pb (1.5% Zn and 0.6% Pb), 831 g/t Ag and 2.46% Cu and
    • 0.9m of 195 g/t Ag and 0.21% Cu and
    • 3.5m of 7.1% Zn+Pb (3.5% Zn and 3.6% Pb), 134 g/t Ag and 0.34% Cu, including
      • 0.9m of 3.5% Zn+Pb (0.5% Zn and 3.0% Pb), 224 g/t Ag and 0.63% Cu
  • These results extend the strike length of the immediate Ballywire discovery corridor from 1,250m to 1,300m, while demonstrating much thicker mineralization than previously encountered
  • This corridor is hosted within a larger 2.6km long trend of robust mineralization pierced by drilling at Ballywire to date, along a prospective trend of over 6km (defined by four regional gravity-high anomalies, only one of which has been systematically drill tested to date)
  • Today’s elevated Cu-Ag values further substantiate the Company’s ‘deeper Cu-Ag’ target (100-200m below the Zn-Pb-Ag horizon), currently being drill tested (second hole in progress)
  • Three rigs are turning at Ballywire with over 4,000m of drilling completed year-to-date; Group Eleven aims to complete 8,000-10,000m in 2025 (fully funded)

‘Today’s hole represents our thickest intercept yet at the Ballywire discovery, surpassing our 29.6 metres of 10.6% Zn+Pb, 78 g/t Ag and 0.15% Cu announced in June 2024,’ stated Bart Jaworski, CEO. ‘Not only does this intercept extend strike and show exceptional mineralized thickness but also demonstrates zones of strong copper-silver values. This adds to growing evidence suggesting a deeper Cu-Ag horizon one to two hundred metres below the main Ballywire discovery horizon. This deeper target is currently being drilled, with one hole finished and a second started. We look forward to releasing these results as soon as assays are available. With three rigs turning each on excellent targets at Ballywire and a recently announced strengthened cash position of C$4.3 million, Group Eleven is poised to keep generating shareholder value through the drill bit for the foreseeable future.’

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Exhibit 1. Plan Drill Hole Map of Ballywire Discovery, Showing Hole 25-3552-35

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Exhibit 2. Long-Section of 25-3552-35 (50m Step-Out) at Ballywire

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Note: Structural interpretation above is preliminary and subject to change with further drilling and compilation

Ballywire Drill Update

The Ballywire prospect at the Company’s 100%-owned PG West Project in Republic of Ireland, represents the most significant mineral discovery in Ireland in over a decade. First announced in Sept-2022, the discovery has 53 holes drilled and reported by Group Eleven to date, including the most recent hole (25-3552-35) reported today (see Exhibits 1 to 3).

Drilling at Ballywire continues with three rigs. Currently, eight (8) new holes are completed (and in the process of being logged, sampled and assayed). Six of these holes are shown in Exhibit 1, with two other holes near gravity-high anomaly ‘D’ (located 1.3km to the ENE). Recently strengthened financial position provides Group Eleven flexibility to either ramp-up drilling in 2025 and/or extend its runway for drilling well into 2026.

Assays from 25-3552-35 are summarized below (see Exhibit 3). Strong mineralization starts to occur within the Waulsortian Limestone at 120.6m downhole and continues intermittently until 187.9m, at which point, mineralization becomes more consistent through to near the base of the Waulsortian Limestone at 242.9m. Below the Waulsortian Limestone, several horizons of elevated copper-silver occur. Mineralization consists predominantly of sphalerite, galena and pyrite, with the copper-silver bearing zones also containing chalcopyrite and suspected tennantite-tetrahedrite.

Exhibit 3. Summary of Assays from 25-3552-35 at Ballywire

Item From
(m)
To
(m)
Int
(m)
Zn
(%)
Pb
(%)
Zn+Pb
(%)
Ag
(g/t)
Cu
(%)
25-3552-35 120.58 121.49 0.91 10.85 2.90 13.75 235.0 0.03
And 148.67 149.62 0.95 16.90 4.05 20.95 69.6 0.02
And 155.22 156.15 0.93 6.16 0.67 6.83 18.5 0.01
And 163.74 177.63 13.89 3.61 0.57 4.17 9.4 0.00
Incl. 173.19 177.63 4.44 5.08 1.14 6.22 18.6 0.01
Incl. 174.98 175.91 0.93 10.20 2.72 12.92 47.1 0.02
And 187.88 241.82 53.94 4.72 3.18 7.89 99.3 0.20
Incl. 202.15 241.82 39.67 5.61 3.85 9.45 131.1 0.27
Incl. 212.55 230.81 18.26 8.89 7.18 16.06 233.1 0.42
Incl. 212.55 224.21 11.66 11.60 9.99 21.59 207.8 0.34
Incl. 221.33 226.96 5.63 8.03 8.54 16.57 370.0 0.86
Incl. 222.32 223.25 0.93 16.20 18.90 35.10 556.0 1.13
And 238.21 241.82 3.61 0.41 0.17 0.58 96.4 0.54
Incl. 240.92 241.82 0.90 0.82 0.55 1.37 223.0 1.27
And 252.32 257.80 5.48 0.94 2.22 3.16 208.8 0.49
Incl. 252.32 254.09 1.77 2.01 3.68 5.69 616.8 1.50
Incl. 252.32 253.20 0.88 1.48 0.63 2.11 831.0 2.46
And 263.23 264.15 0.92 0.01 0.08 0.09 195.0 0.21
And 268.70 272.15 3.45 3.50 3.55 7.06 133.7 0.34
Incl. 271.27 272.15 0.88 0.50 2.99 3.49 224.0 0.63

 

Note: True thickness of the mineralized interval in hole 25-3552-35, as a percentage of the down-hole interval, is estimated to be 90-100%

Notes to Exhibit 4: (a) Pallas Green MRE is owned by Glencore (see Glencore’s Resources and Reserves Report dated December 31, 2024); (b) Stonepark MRE: see the ‘NI 43-101 Independent Report on the Zinc-Lead Exploration Project at Stonepark, County Limerick, Ireland’, by Gordon, Kelly and van Lente, with an effective date of April 26, 2018, as found on SEDAR; and (c) the historic estimate at Denison was reported by Westland Exploration Limited in ‘Report on Prospecting Licence 464’ by Dermot Hughes dated May, 1988; the historic estimate at Gortdrum was reported in ‘The Geology and Genesis of the Gortdrum Cu-Ag-Hg Orebody’ by G.M. Steed dated 1986; and the historic estimate at Tullacondra was first reported by Munster Base Metals Ltd in ‘Report on Mallow Property’ by David Wilbur, dated December 1973; and later summarized in ‘Cu-Ag Mineralization at Tullacondra, Mallow, Co. Cork’ by Wilbur and Carter in 1986; the above three historic estimates have not been verified as current mineral resources; none of the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to prepare the historic estimates were reported and no resource categories were used; significant data compilation, re-drilling and data verification may be required by a Qualified Person before the historic estimates can be verified and upgraded to be compliant with current NI 43-101 standards; a Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify them as a current mineral resource and the Company is not treating the historic estimates as current mineral resources. ‘Rathdowney Trend’ is the south-westerly projection of the Rathdowney Trend, hosting the historic Lisheen and Galmoy mines.

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Exhibit 4. Regional Map of Ballywire Discovery

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Qualified Person

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Professor Garth Earls, Eur Geol, P.Geo, FSEG, geological consultant at IGS (International Geoscience Services) Limited, and independent ‘Qualified Person’ as defined under Canadian National Instrument 43-101.

Sampling and Analytical Procedures

All core drilled at Ballywire is NQ (47.6mm) and is cut using a rock saw. Sample intervals vary between 0.55m to 1.32m with an average (over 188 samples) of 0.92m. The half-core samples are bagged, labelled and sealed at Group Eleven’s core store facility in Limerick, Ireland. Selected sample bags are examined by the Qualified Person. Transport is via an accredited courier service and/or by Group Eleven staff to ALS Laboratories in Loughrea Co. Galway, Ireland. Sample preparation at the ALS facility comprises fine crushing 70%

Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Information

Group Eleven inserts certified reference materials (‘CRMs’ or ‘Standards’) as well as blank material, to its sample stream as part of its industry-standard QA/QC programme. The QC results have been reviewed by the Qualified Person, who is satisfied that all the results are within acceptable parameters. The Qualified Person has validated the sampling and chain of custody protocols used by Group Eleven.

About Group Eleven Resources

Group Eleven Resources Corp. (TSX.V: ZNG; OTCQB: GRLVF and FRA: 3GE) is drilling the most significant mineral discovery in the Republic of Ireland in over a decade. The Company announced the Ballywire discovery in September 2022, demonstrating high grades of zinc, lead, silver, copper, germanium and locally, antimony. Key intercepts to date include:

  • 10.8m of 10.0% Zn+Pb and 109 g/t Ag (G11-468-03)
  • 10.1m of 8.6% Zn+Pb and 46 g/t Ag (G11-468-06)
  • 10.5m of 14.7% Zn+Pb, 399 g/t Ag and 0.31% Cu (G11-468-12)
  • 11.2m of 8.9% Zn+Pb and 83 g/t Ag (G11-3552-03)
  • 29.6m of 10.6% Zn+Pb, 78 g/t Ag and 0.15% Cu (G11-3552-12) and
  • 11.8m of 11.6% Zn+Pb, 48 g/t Ag (G11-3552-18)
  • 15.6m of 11.6% Zn+Pb, 122 g/t Ag and 0.19% Cu (G11-3552-27)
  • 12.0m of 1.4% Zn+Pb, 560 g/t Ag, 2.30% Cu and 0.17% Sb (25-3552-31), including
  • 6.4m of 2.1% Zn+Pb, 838 g/t Ag, 3.72% Cu and 0.27% Sb (25-3552-31)
  • 39.7m of 9.5% Zn+Pb, 131 g/t Ag and 0.27% Cu (25-3552-35)

Ballywire is located 20km from Company’s 77.64%-owned Stonepark zinc-lead deposit1, which itself is located adjacent to Glencore’s Pallas Green zinc-lead deposit2. The Company’s two largest shareholders are Michael Gentile (15.3%) and Glencore Canada Corp. (15.2% interest). Additional information about the Company is available at www.groupelevenresources.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bart Jaworski, P.Geo.
Chief Executive Officer

E: b.jaworski@groupelevenresources.com | T: +353-85-833-2463
E: j.webb@groupelevenresources.com | T: 604-644-9514

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Technical and scientific information disclosed from neighbouring properties does not necessarily apply to the current project or property being disclosed. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the future results of operations, performance and achievements of the Company, including the timing, content, cost and results of proposed work programs, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/ reserves and geological interpretations. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located. All of the Company’s public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedarplus.ca and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company’s mineral properties.

1 Stonepark MRE is 5.1 million tonnes of 11.3% Zn+Pb (8.7% Zn and 2.6% Pb), Inferred (Apr-17-2018)

2 Pallas Green MRE is 45.4 million tonnes of 8.4% Zn+Pb (7.2% Zn + 1.2% Pb), Inferred (Glencore, Dec-31-2024)

Corporate Logo

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TSX Venture Exchange: BSK
Frankfurt Stock Exchange: MAL2
OTCQB Venture Market (OTC): BKUCF

Blue Sky Uranium Corp. (TSXV: BSK) (FSE: MAL2) (OTC: BKUCF) (‘Blue Sky’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce that it has obtained an additional substantial historic subsurface dataset for its Corcovo Uranium Project an ‘in situ’ recovery (‘ ISR ‘) high potential target, located in the Western Malargüe Mining District, Mendoza Province Argentina . This dataset was originally generated by operators in the oil & gas (‘ O&G ‘) with concession holdings in the area. The new data package includes complete information from 449 historical O&G wells ranging from more than 500 metres up to 750 metres in depth within the Corcovo concession area, featuring geophysical logging data such as gamma-ray, spontaneous potential (SP), and other parameters, compiled in the O&G industry standard format for well log data (Log ASCII Standard or ‘ LAS ‘ format). In addition, the Company received 34 2D seismic lines, covering the entire Corcovo project area ( Figure 1 ).

Blue Sky Uranium Corp. logo (CNW Group/Blue Sky Uranium Corp.)

Nikolaos Cacos , President & CEO of the Company stated, ‘This new data package is a major milestone for the Corcovo Project. Blue Sky now have a massive amount of information from over 500 drill holes that will allow us to rapidly enhance our geological model, improve confidence in the interpreted uranium-bearing horizons, and potentially accelerate future targeting for ISR-style uranium mineralization.’

Blue Sky had previously acquired data from 89 O&G wells from which the team identified radiometric anomalies at four different stacked horizons and outlined a potential roll-front morphology along approximately 7km (see News Release dated June 4, 2025 ). The newly acquired information is currently being integrated into Blue Sky’s geophysical and geological interpretation to refine the exploration targets. The Company continues to work to identify and access additional data, including 3D seismic surveys known to have been previously performed in the project area.

The Corcovo Project covers 20,000 hectares at the northeastern margin of the O&G producing Neuquén Basin. The geological potential of the region for uranium ISR deposits was initially defined by CNEA, the state-owned nuclear company, as reported in the International Atomic Energy Agency and Nuclear Energy Agency document titled: ‘ Uranium 2024: Resources, Production and Demand ‘. Blue Sky optioned the Corcovo project in 2024 as part of a strategic initiative to broaden the Company’s medium to long-term prospects for discovery of additional uranium mineral resources. The project benefits from flat topography, road access, and year-round accessibility, supporting cost-effective exploration and potential future ISR development.

Qualified Persons

The technical contents of this news release have been reviewed and approved by Mr. Ariel Testi , CPG, who works for the Company and is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

About Blue Sky Uranium Corp.

Blue Sky Uranium Corp. is a leader in uranium discovery in Argentina . The Company’s objective is to deliver exceptional returns to shareholders by rapidly advancing a portfolio of uranium deposits into low-cost producers, while respecting the environment, the communities, and the cultures in all the areas in which we work. Blue Sky’s flagship Amarillo Grande Project was an in-house discovery of a new district that has the potential to be both a leading domestic supplier of uranium to the growing Argentine market and a new international market supplier.  The Company’s recently optioned Corcovo project has demonstrated potential to host an in-situ recovery (‘ ISR ‘) uranium deposit. The Company is a member of the Grosso Group, a resource management group that has pioneered exploration in Argentina since 1993.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

‘Nikolaos Cacos’

______________________________________
Nikolaos Cacos , President, CEO and Director

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, the ‘forward-looking statements’) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Any statements that are contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as ‘may’, ‘should’, ‘anticipate’, ‘will’, ‘estimates’, ‘believes’, ‘intends’ ‘expects’ and similar expressions which are intended to identify forward-looking statements. More particularly and without limitation, this press release contains forward-looking statements that, other than statements of historical fact, address activities, events or developments the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, statements about the Company’s planned exploration campaigns, advancement of the Corcovo project, the future value of the previous work done to the Corcovo project and potential of the Corcovo and Amarillo Grande projects. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and, even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: uncertainty relating to mineral resources; risks related to heavy metal and transition metal price fluctuations, particularly uranium and vanadium; ri   sks relating to the dependence of the Company on key management personnel and outside parties;   the potential impact of global pandemics; risks and uncertainties related to governmental regulation and the ability to obtain, amend, or maintain licenses, permits, or surface rights; risks associated with technical difficulties in connection with mining activities; and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company’s expectations, including in respect of the Company’s planned drilling program described in this news release. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Company’s public disclosure documents for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected future results. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by securities law.

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SOURCE Blue Sky Uranium Corp.

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Once a revolutionary militia, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps built power through ideology and fear. Now, after devastating losses, its future is uncertain.

After major military setbacks, Iran’s IRGC faces a turning point. Experts explain its roots, power, and whether its reign of repression and terror can endure.

Once a fringe militia born of revolution, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has grown into the regime’s most feared and powerful force. But according to Dr. Afshon Ostovar, a leading expert on Iran and author of ‘Vanguard of the Imam: Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards,’ said the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran may have permanently altered its trajectory.

‘What the IRGC tried to achieve over the last 25 years is basically toast,’ Ostovar told Fox News Digital, ‘Their campaign to build a military deterrent at home through missiles and nuclear enrichment, and to expand regionally through proxies, has essentially collapsed.’

Founded in the wake of the 1979 revolution, the IRGC was created to safeguard and spread the Islamic Republic’s values — often through violence. Ostovar describes how its legitimacy evolved over time, initially drawn from the overthrow of the Shah, then the Iran-Iraq War, and later through the manufactured narrative of an eternal struggle with the U.S. and Israel.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Director of FDD’s Iran Program Behnam Ben Taleblu, told Fox News Digital the IRGC’s origin reflects a deep mistrust of Iran’s traditional military, which had remained loyal to the Shah. 

‘The IRGC were created through efforts to collect pro-regime armed gangs called Komitehs. They enforced revolutionary edicts and developed a parallel and ideological military force due to clerical skepticism in the national army,’ he explained.

‘The IRGC are tasked with preserving and defending the revolution in Iran,’ Taleblu said. ‘That’s one reason why the 1979 Islamic Revolution has not been tamed, nor has the regime’s extremism lost any luster. If anything, terrorism and hostage-taking have continued.’

‘They created a boogeyman in the U.S. and Israel,’ Ostovar added. ‘But today, that ideology no longer resonates with most Iranians. The majority want better relations with the West and are tired of the regime’s isolationist stance.’

Today, the IRGC is deeply intertwined with the clerical elite. ‘The IRGC and the clerical elite are partners in power, treating Iran as a springboard to export their revolution,’ Taleblu noted.

Over the past year, Iran has suffered a series of strategic defeats: Hezbollah has been degraded in Lebanon, Hamas crippled in Gaza, Syria effectively lost, and Iranian military infrastructure — including nuclear and missile sites — destroyed in many cases by U.S. and Israeli strikes. Ostovar says these losses have decimated the IRGC’s regional footprint and forced the regime to reevaluate its strategy.

‘They can try to rebuild everything — but that would take too long and be too difficult,’ he said. ‘More likely, we’ll see them repress harder at home and lean on China and Russia to rebuild conventional military capabilities like air defense and advanced jets.’

Internally, the IRGC’s economic empire is also under growing strain. Sanctions, cyberattacks, and battlefield losses have made operations far more difficult. Ostovar said that foreign banks avoid any connection with Iran out of fear they may inadvertently deal with IRGC-linked entities, forcing the group to operate through front companies abroad. ‘They’ve lost a lot, and now they’ll have to redirect their limited resources to rebuild. That’s going to stretch them even thinner.’

Despite these pressures, both Ostovar and Taleblu agree that the IRGC is unlikely to turn against the regime. ‘Much like the regime elite, the IRGC is at a crossroads,’ Taleblu said. ‘They have lost much of their strategic brain trust, but are likely to remain loyal for a combination of ideological and material reasons — so long as the status quo doesn’t change.’

Looking ahead, Iran may shift focus inward, relying more on domestic repression than on external terror. ‘They can’t get weapons into Gaza. They’ve lost access to Lebanon. They may still attempt terrorism, but they’ve failed repeatedly — especially against Israeli targets,’ Ostovar said. ‘In contrast, repressing their own people is something they can do easily.’

He warns that Iran could become ‘more insular, more autocratic — more like North Korea than what it is today.’ While regime collapse is always a possibility, Ostovar believes autocracies are often resilient. ‘Look at Venezuela or Cuba — they’ve run their countries into the ground but still hold on to power.’

Ostovar thinks change — and not for the better — could come via generational shift. ‘The IRGC’s younger cadre is less religious but no less hardline,’ he said. ‘They may not care about hijabs, but they’ve spent the last two decades fighting the U.S. and Israel in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. That’s the war they know.’

Some reformist elements within the regime envision a different path — one focused on normalization and growth. ‘They want to preserve the regime not by fighting the world, but by opening up to it,’ Ostovar said. ‘They look more to Vietnam or China as models.’

Taleblu warned that despite recent setbacks, the IRGC’s grip remains strong. ‘Right now, the Guards have power without accountability, wielding political, economic, and military influence in Iranian policy. How this influence is channeled by the next generation of Guardsmen remains to be seen.’

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The State Department is launching a new ‘America First’ rebranding initiative to consolidate all the logos for its offices under a singular one depicting the American flag — an effort that aligns with the agency’s massive overhaul plans. 

Whereas separate logos existed previously for offices, including embassies, bureaus and programs under the U.S. Agency for International Development, the rebranding effort seeks to establish ‘consistent branding’ across all these platforms to best reflect American contributions abroad, according to a State Department official. 

‘The redesign is very simple, and that was to recenter and re-anchor the visual identity of American efforts overseas in the American flag,’ Darren Beattie, undersecretary for public diplomacy at the State Department, told Fox News Digital Tuesday. 

Beattie said that inconsistent branding across State Department offices and programs has meant that sometimes U.S. efforts abroad aren’t as widely recognized, while other countries that do have uniformity in branding receive greater credit. 

‘There’s some things you look at it, and you have no clue that’s associated with the United States government at all, and that’s obviously contrary to our purposes,’ Beattie said. ‘If we’re contributing something great overseas, we want that positivity and that contribution to be immediately visually distinguished as something associated with the United States.’

The State Department rolled out guidance on the rebranding effort Wednesday — just a day after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that USAID would officially no longer continue to provide foreign assistance. 

Fox News Digital first reported in March that the State Department would absorb remaining functions from the previously independent organization, which delivered aid to impoverished countries and development assistance. 

Compliance with the rebranding effort across State Department offices and bureaus is slated for Oct. 1, according to Beattie. 

The effort seeks to visually complement the State Department’s reorganization already underway, which officials have said is the largest restructuring of the agency since the Cold War. 

Rubio unveiled plans in April to revamp the agency because the department was ‘bloated, bureaucratic, and unable to perform its essential diplomatic mission.’

Additionally, Rubio told lawmakers on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing foreign affairs in May that the restructuring aimed to ’empower’ regional bureaus and embassies who are responsible for spearheading the ‘best innovations.’ 

‘They are identifying problems and opportunities well in advance of some memo that works its way to me,’ Rubio told lawmakers. ‘We want to get back to a situation or we want to get to a situation where we are empowering ideas and action at the embassy level and through our regional bureaus. Those are literally the front lines of American diplomacy. And so we have structured a State Department that can deliver on that.’

Fox News Digital first reported in May that the agency’s reorganization plans would involve cutting or consolidating more than 300 of the agency’s 700 offices and bureaus in an attempt to streamline operations. 

The reorganization involves axing roughly 3,400 State Department personnel, amounting to approximately 15% to 20% of the agency’s domestic headcount, State Department officials previously told Fox News Digital. 

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has approved a law to halt cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a move which will likely obscure any attempt by Tehran to restart its damaged nuclear program.

Wednesday’s decision comes a week after Iran’s parliament passed a law to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. Iran blames the IAEA for collaborating with Israel and providing a pathway for strikes on its nuclear facilities, an accusation which the agency denies.

Pezeshkian ordered Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, the Supreme National Security Council, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to begin implementing the law, state-run news agency IRNA said.

It’s unclear when and how the new law will be implemented, but the decision could pave the way for Iran to rebuild its nuclear program without inspections or monitoring from the IAEA. Iran is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which requires members to allow monitoring and inspections of facilities to confirm the peaceful nature of nuclear programs.

Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Iran last month that targeted its military commanders, nuclear facilities and the scientists who develop its atomic program. In the week that followed, the United States launched supportive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow. A 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran ended with a ceasefire last week.

Iran said its facilities were badly damaged in the attacks but that it intends to continue enriching uranium to continue its “peaceful” nuclear program. On Sunday, the IAEA said US strikes on Iran fell short of causing total damage to the program and that Tehran could restart enriching uranium “in a matter of months.”

Days before Israel attacked the Iranian facilities, the IAEA said it could not verify that Tehran’s nuclear program is entirely peaceful and issued a report saying Iran was enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels.

That document triggered an IAEA resolution censuring Iran, fueling outrage across the Iranian government who accuse the agency and its director general, Rafael Grossi, of being biased.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has repeatedly denied Iran is building a bomb and says weapons of mass destruction are forbidden under Islam. The country began enriching uranium to higher levels after US President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018 from a nuclear agreement signed between the Obama administration and Iran.

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Catherine, Princess of Wales visited a wellbeing garden at Colchester Hospital on Wednesday, marking her first public appearance since she unexpectedly dropped out of an appearance at Royal Ascot two weeks ago.

Kate visited the hospital garden in the southeast of England to “celebrate the incredible healing power of nature,” according to Kensington Palace.

During the visit, the princess also met with patients and staff at the hospital’s Cancer Wellbeing Centre “to understand how gardens in healthcare settings play a crucial role in promoting good health outcomes, preventing poor health and supporting increased recovery time,” the palace said.

Kate, 43, has underlined the importance of nature in her health journey over the last year.

“Over the past year, nature has been my sanctuary,” she said in a video posted on X to mark Mental Health Awareness Week in May.

Kate revealed her cancer diagnosis and that she had started chemotherapy last March. As she underwent treatment, she stepped back from public life and only made a few rare appearances last summer. In September, she announced she had completed chemotherapy and was “doing what I can to stay cancer free.”

Although she has taken on more appearances this year, the popular royal is understood to be working to find the right balance as she returns to public duties after treatment.

Before dropping out of Ascot at short notice, Kate had attended a number of engagements in recent weeks, including two major events in the royal calendar, the Trooping the Colour parade in London and the Order of the Garter service in Windsor.

She resumed in-person duties last week when she and Prince William invited Melinda French Gates for a meeting at Windsor Castle. They were understood to have discussed their philanthropic work, according to Britain’s PA Media news agency.

Kate’s visit to Colchester Hospital on Wednesday coincided with the hospital accepting a donation of 50 “Catherine’s Rose” plants, a specially-bred rose named in her honor by the Royal Horticultural Society. She planted some of these roses, which, when sold commercially, will have their proceeds donated to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

Kate has become deeply involved in the charity since her diagnosis. In January, Kensington Palace announced that she had been named the joint patron of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, the specialist cancer center in Chelsea, west London, where she was treated.

Funds from the sale of these roses will be used to help the charity establish a specialist program helping cancer patients live well with the disease, and after their treatment has been completed.

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Asset Portfolio Overview

International Lithium Corp. (TSXV: ILC) (OTCQB: ILHMF) (FSE: IAH) (the ‘Company’ or ‘ILC’) is pleased to announce that it has completed the sale of all its interest in the Avalonia Project in Ireland and in Blackstairs Lithium Ltd, the company that owns that project.

As announced on September 17, 2024, the Company’s interest in the Avalonia Project was sold then to GFL International Co., Limited (‘GFL’), a subsidiary of Ganfeng Lithium Group Co., Ltd. (‘Ganfeng’), for a consideration of CAD$ 2.2 million plus a 2% Net Smelter Royalty. The Company reports that it has now sold its shareholding in Blackstairs Lithium to GFL for an additional CAD$ 0.3 million. The final CAD$ 1.0 million of the consideration for the CAD$ 2.2 million Avalonia Project is payable by GFL in October 2025.

John Wisbey, Chairman and CEO of ILC, commented:

‘We are pleased to have completed the sale of our interest in the Avalonia Project to GFL who was our partner in Ireland. This divestment allows us to focus on our wholly owned or majority-owned projects in Canada and on progressing identified opportunities in Southern Africa. We have a strong 11-year relationship with Ganfeng, and we will welcome working with Ganfeng again on future projects when there is a mutual interest in doing so.’

About International Lithium Corp.

International Lithium Corp. has exploration activities in Ontario, Canada, with intentions to expand into Southern Africa. It has projects at various stages, ranging from Preliminary Economic Assessment at Raleigh Lake to Pre-Drilling at Wolf Ridge. The primary target metals in Canada are lithium, rubidium and copper. There are three projects (two in Ontario and now one in Ireland) in which ILC has sold its share but where we stand to receive future payments from either a resource milestone being achieved or from a Net Smelter Royalty.

While the world’s politicians are currently divided on the future of the energy market’s historic dependence on oil and gas and on ‘Net Zero’, there seems to be a clear and unstoppable momentum towards electric vehicles, solar power and electric battery storage, all of which contribute to rising demand for lithium. Rubidium is increasingly seen as a valuable critical metal that is strategic for high-precision clocks and for space technology. Copper has many historical uses, but demand is projected to be sharply higher as more data centres are required for AI. We have seen the clear and increasingly urgent wish by the USA, Canada, and other major economies to safeguard their supplies of critical metals and to become more self-sufficient. Our Canadian projects, which contain lithium, rubidium and copper, are strategic in that respect.

Our key mission for the next decade is to generate revenue for our shareholders from lithium and other battery metals, as well as rare metals, while also contributing to the creation of a greener, cleaner planet and less polluted cities.

This includes optimizing the value of our existing projects in Canada as well as finding, exploring and developing projects that have the potential to become world-class deposits. We have separately announced that we regard Southern Africa as a key strategic target market for ILC and that we have applied for and hope to receive EPOs in Zimbabwe. We hope to make further announcements on the portfolio developments over the next few weeks and months.

The Company’s interests in various projects now consist of the following, and in addition, the Company continues to seek other opportunities:

Name Metal Location Stage Area in 
Hectares
Current
Ownership
Percentage
Future Ownership % if options exercised and/or residual interest Operator or 
JV Partner
Raleigh
Lake
Lithium
Rubidium
Ontario Dec 2023: PEA
for Li completed
Apr 2023 Maiden
Resource Estimates for Li and Rb
32,900 100% 100% ILC
Firesteel Copper
Cobalt
Ontario Aeromagnetics
and Drilling 
started mid 2024
6,600 90% 90% ILC
Wolf 
Ridge
Lithium Ontario Pre-Drilling 5,700 0% 100% ILC
Mavis 
Lake
Lithium Ontario May 2023
Maiden Resource Estimate
2,600 0% 0%
(carries an extra earn-in payment of AUD$ 0.75 million if resource targets met)
Critical 
Resources 
Ltd 
(ASX: CRR)
Avalonia Lithium Ireland Drilling 29,200 0% 0%
2.0% Net Smelter Royalty
GFL Intl Co Ltd (owned by Ganfeng Lithium Group Co.Ltd)
Forgan/
Lucky Lakes
Lithium Ontario Drilling 0% 0%
1.5% Net Smelter Royalty
Power 
Minerals Ltd 
(ASX: PNN)

 

The Company’s primary strategic focus at this point is on the Raleigh Lake Project, comprising lithium and rubidium, and the Firesteel copper project in Canada, as well as obtaining EPOs and mineral claims in Zimbabwe.

The Raleigh Lake Project now encompasses 32,900 hectares (329 square kilometres) of mineral claims in Ontario and represents ILC’s most significant project in Canada. To date, drilling has occurred on less than 1,000 hectares of our claims. A Preliminary Economic Assessment was published for ILC’s lithium at Raleigh Lake in December 2023, with a detailed economic analysis of ILC’s separate rubidium resource still pending. Raleigh Lake is 100% owned by ILC, free from any encumbrances and royalties. The Raleigh Lake Project boasts excellent access to roads, rail, and utilities.

A continuing goal has been to remain a well-funded company to turn our aspirations into reality. Following the disposal of the Mariana project in Argentina in 2021, the Mavis Lake project in Canada in 2022, and now the Avalonia project, ILC continues to achieve sufficient inward cash flow to be able to make progress with its exploration projects.

With the increasing demand for high-tech rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, electrical storage, and portable electronics, lithium has been designated ‘the new oil’ and is a key part of a green energy, sustainable economy. By positioning itself with projects that have significant resource potential and solid strategic partners, ILC aims to be one of the preferred lithium and rare metals resource developers for investors and to continue building value for its shareholders for the rest of the 2020s, the decade of battery metals.

On behalf of the Company,

John Wisbey
Chairman and CEO
www.internationallithium.ca

For further information concerning this news release, please contact +1 604-449-6520 or info@internationallithium.ca or ILC@yellowjerseypr.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Except for statements of historical fact, this news release or other releases contain certain ‘forward-looking information’ within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information or forward-looking statements in this or other news releases may include: the timing of completion of any offering and the amount to be raised, the time when the Company will receive the remaining consideration payable by Ganfeng for the Avalonia Project, the effect of results of anticipated production rates, the timing and/or anticipated results of drilling on the Raleigh Lake or Firesteel or Wolf Ridge projects, the expectation of resource estimates, preliminary economic assessments, feasibility studies, lithium or rubidium or copper recoveries, modeling of capital and operating costs, results of studies utilizing various technologies at the company’s projects, the Company’s budgeted expenditures, future plans for expansion in Southern Africa and planned exploration work on its projects, increased value of shareholder investments in the Company, the potential from the company’s third party earn-out or royalty arrangements, the future demand for lithium, rubidium and copper, and assumptions about ethical behaviour by our joint venture partners or third party operators of projects or royalty partners. Such forward-looking information is based on assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those discussed in the sections entitled ‘Risks’ and ‘Forward-Looking Statements’ in the interim and annual Management’s Discussion and Analysis which are available at www.sedar.com. While management believes that the assumptions made are reasonable, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking information. Forward-looking information herein, and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on expectations, estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the time of such statements, are subject to significant business, economic, legislative, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management’s estimates or opinions change.

Corporate Logo

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/257488

News Provided by Newsfile via QuoteMedia

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The federal website created to host the U.S. national climate assessments, congressionally-mandated and peer-reviewed reports that cover the effects of climate change in the U.S. has been inaccessible so far this week.

A Fox News Digital review found that the websites for the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the pages for the national assessments were down on Tuesday without any links or referrals to other websites. 

The White House said the climate-related reports will be located within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) going forward. However, searches for the assessments did not bring anything up on the NASA website, according to The Associated Press.

The U.S. national climate assessments, of which five have been created to date, are published every four years. Some scientists argue the reports save money and lives, AP reported.

‘It’s critical for decision-makers across the country to know what the science in the National Climate Assessment is,’ University of Arizona climate scientist Kathy Jacobs said in a statement. ‘That is the most reliable and well-reviewed source of information about climate that exists for the United States.’

In March, President Donald Trump’s energy chief vowed a reversal of ‘politically polarizing’ Biden-era climate policies as the new administration approaches climate change as ‘a global physical phenomenon.’

‘I am a climate realist,’ Energy Secretary Chris Wright said at S&P Global’s CERAWeek conference in Houston in March. ‘The Trump administration will treat climate change for what it is, a global physical phenomenon that is a side effect of building the modern world.’

In February, the Trump administration similarly revamped agency websites to be rid of climate change-filled content, amid a widespread rebranding of federal departments from content deemed as not aligning with Trump’s agenda.

The White House and NASA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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North Korea is set to triple the number of its troops fighting for Russia along the front lines with Ukraine, sending an additional 25,000 to 30,000 soldiers to assist Moscow, according to an intelligence assessment from Ukrainian officials.

The assessment also says there are signs that Russian military aircraft are being refitted to carry personnel, reflecting the vast undertaking of moving tens of thousands of foreign troops across Russian Siberia, which shares a border with North Korea in its far southwest.

North Korea initially sent 11,000 troops to Russia in the fall of 2024 in great secrecy, with Russian President Vladimir Putin only confirming the deployment in late April.

In October, North Korean soldiers were pictured being handed equipment for the frontlines at the Sergeevka military base in Primorskyi Krai.

A month later, a Ropucha-class Russian ship docked at the Dunai port near Nakhodka, 95 kilometers (59 miles) to the southwest, which could carry up to 400 troops, analysts said.

“Satellite imagery shows a Russian personnel carrier arriving at Dunai in May, and activity at Sunan airport in May and June,” said Joe Byrne, senior analyst at the Open Source Centre. “This appears to indicate the routes previously used to move DPRK troops are active, and could be used in any large-scale future transfer of personnel.”

Jenny Town, senior fellow and director of the Korean program at the Stimson Center, said the Ukrainian assessment of up to 30,000 sounded “high… but they can certainly come up with that number. They won’t be elite soldiers. Kim Jong Un has said he is all in, so it depends on what Russia has asked for.”

Town said 10,000 to 20,000 “sounds more realistic,” and that North Korea might slowly deploy the troops in stages. “There have been rumors that Russian generals have been inside North Korea training troops there already,” she said.

Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Thursday that Kyiv suspected further North Korean troops might be deployed but added that the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, risked putting his own government in peril by exposing so many elite troops to the high casualty rates of the front line. “Russia’s use of elite North Korean troops demonstrates not only a growing reliance on totalitarian regimes but also serious problems with its mobilization reserve,” Umerov said. “Together with our partners, we are monitoring these threats and will respond accordingly.”

On Friday, Ukraine’s military chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Russia was amassing 110,000 troops near the front-line hotspot town of Pokrovsk, in preparation for a possible offensive on the strategic population center.

Sergei Shoigu, a top adviser to Putin who previously served as his defense minister, visited Pyongyang on June 17 – a trip made on Putin’s orders, and his second visit in a fortnight, the Russian state-run TASS news agency reported. During the visit, Shoigu announced 1,000 North Korean sappers and 5,000 military construction workers would be sent to Russia, to clear mines and “restore infrastructure destroyed by the occupiers” in the Kursk region, according to TASS.

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) has briefed lawmakers in Seoul that North Korea has begun selecting personnel for overseas deployment which could occur as early as July or August, according to remarks by lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun. He highlighted Russia’s public announcement of another 6,000 North Korean mine clearers and military construction workers being sent. It is unclear if the NIS shares the Ukranian intelligence assessment that the deployment could be as many as 30,000.

The six-minute video shows a Russian military instructor declaring that North Koreans aged 23 to 27 arrive “physically well-prepared.” He added, “As fighters they are not worse than ours. The enemy runs away first.”

The Russian trainer discusses with Kim a translation sheet of basic military Russian terms to Korean. It is unclear if the North Korean trainees are new arrivals or the remnants of the 11,000 sent last year. The reporter also visits a trench network where the North Koreans live with basic comfort items such as red Korean pepper, and handwritten posters declaring in Korean “Revenge for our fallen comrades” above their bunks.

Another two videos posted by TASS imply greater integration of North Korean soldiers into the Russian military than was previously seen. North Korean troops’ first exposure to the front line in Kursk was as a distinct, separate unit, owing to the language barrier with Moscow’s troops, according to assessments by Ukrainian officials.

One TASS video shows North Korean and Russian troops working to clear buildings together in close-combat training, and another shows North Koreans receiving training with shotguns, used to tackle the Ukrainian drone threat.

The manuals have emerged at the same time as increasing numbers of videos of North Korean artillery at the front line have been seen online, and as a report from 11 UN member states last month said that Pyongyang had sent at least 100 ballistic missiles and 9 million artillery shells to Russia in 2024.

The report also echoed statements from the South Korean military in March that another 3,000 North Korean troops had been sent to Russia early this year.

Town, from the Stimson Center, said Pyongyang saw a long-term benefit to Moscow being in its debt. “The more ‘blood debt’ there is between them,” she said, “the more North Korea will benefit in the long run, even if they are making sacrifices in the short term.”

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