BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Sky News, the FT, Telegraph, BBC, The Times, Reuters, Daily Mail and the Independent report on the resumption of US sanctions against Iran. Sky News reports that US President Donald Trump has re-imposed sanctions against Iran and accused the Islamic republic of “threatening, destabilising behaviour”. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani dismissed calls for talks with the US on the eve of the move, adding America “cannot be trusted” and wants to “create chaos in Iran”. The first set of sanctions target Iranian financial transactions that involve US dollars, Iran’s automotive sector, the purchase of commercial planes and metals including gold. The FT reports that Trump’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal has also exacerbated a slump in the rial. The currency has lost more than half its value against the US dollar on the unofficial market this year. The price of food such as fruit and vegetables is up to 50 per cent higher since the start of 2018. Iranian politicians view the US sanctions as part of a plot to escalate public anger by squeezing the republic financially to the point where Iranians rise up against their leaders. The Telegraph reports that the US has dismissed the EU’s attempt to minimise the impact of its Iran sanctions as the first phase of penalties are introduced. A senior US administration official said a move by Brussels, with the support of Britain, to impose a “blocking statute” protecting European businesses trading with Iran was “not something that we’re particularly concerned by”. Mr Trump said in a statement: “We urge all nations to take such steps to make clear that the Iranian regime faces a choice:  either change its threatening, destabilising behaviour and reintegrate with the global economy, or continue down a path of economic isolation.”

The BBC reports that President Rouhani said the sanctions amounted to “psychological warfare”. Responding on Iranian state television, Rouhani rejected the idea of last-minute talks. “We are always in favour of diplomacy and talks… but talks need honesty”. The Times reports that Rouhani said he would resist American attempts to cripple Iran diplomatically and economically. He made a veiled threat that the US would “regret” what it had done. He said that “they are already isolated in the world,” he said. “They are imposing sanctions on Iranian children, patients and the nation.” Reuters reports that oil prices rose on Tuesday as the US reintroduced sanctions against major crude exporter Iran, tightening global markets. Many countries, including US allies in Europe as well as China and India oppose the sanctions, but the US Government said it wants as many countries as possible to stop buying Iranian oil. The Daily Mail reports that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday that the leaders of the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel were isolated in their hostility to Iran. Saudi Arabia and Israel are among the only countries to strongly support the reimposition of US sanctions. Zarif said: “Talk to anyone, anywhere in the world and they will tell you that Netanyahu, Trump and bin Salman are isolated, not Iran.” The Independent reports that White House national security adviser John Bolton said Iran should pay heed to the fact Trump has said he is willing to negotiate. “They could take up the president’s offer to negotiate with them, to give up their ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes fully and really verifiably.”

Reuters reports that an Israeli minister said Egypt bears equal responsibility for Gaza. Zeev Elkin, a member of Netanyahu’s security cabinet and Likud party, said Egyptian security needs meant the Arab power “understands that it cannot shrug off Gaza”. However some Egyptian officials say they would resist any attempt by Israel, or its US ally, to shift to Cairo the onus for addressing Gaza’s long-term governance or economic problems. Elkin said: “We left Gaza. If someone strikes at us from Gaza, they will get hit back. Let the Arab world resolve the internal, humanitarian problem of the Gaza Strip. Why should we bear responsibility for this?” There was no immediate response from Cairo.

The Daily Mail reports that an Israeli ceasefire with Hamas would be limited in scope. Cabinet minister Yoav Galant told Israel Army Radio on Monday that “there is no process toward an agreement”. Galant said what is at issue is a cease-fire, not a full-scale agreement. Galant said the security cabinet discussed possible gestures, such as easing the latest restrictions, in exchange for a truce.

The Evening Standard reports that the Greens are the latest UK political party to become embroiled in an antisemitism row. A YouTube video appears to show Green Party member Shahrar Ali speaking at a protest in 2009 against Israel’s attack on Gaza. In the clip, he says: “Just because your God tells you to stand here, does not give you the right to push us aside. Just because you observe the niceties of Holocaust Memorial Day, does not mean that you have learned the lessons of history.” Shahrar Ali said a statement: “The targeting of Green spokespersons with false accusations of antisemitism is designed to stifle legitimate criticism of the Israeli government.

The BBC, the Sun, the Guardian and the Daily Mail report on the abuse received by Labour deputy Tom Watson calling on him to quit the party. The BBC reports that George McManus, who sits on Labour’s National Policy Forum, said that Tom Watson had received “£50,000+ from Jewish donors,” adding: “At least Judas only got 30 pieces of silver”. Mr McManus, followed up his post by suggesting that Mr Watson had been “bought” or “compromised”. The Sun reports that Labour backbencher Wes Streeting said the attack was a “classic anti-Semitic trope”. The Guardian reports that Momentum has since disowned McManus, calling his comments appalling, and a Labour source said he was no longer on the NPF ballot. Momentum said it was “an appalling, antisemitic comment” made by McManus, adding: “We understand that he has now rightly been suspended from Labour. We will not tolerate any antisemitism, racism or online abuse from candidates we support.” The Daily Mail reports that Left-wing activists mounted a massive social media campaign against Tom Watson – posting nearly 50,000 tweets calling for him to go and making the hashtag ‘ResignWatson’ trend on Twitter. The attacks – the biggest coordinated wave of vitriol against a Labour politician so far – came after Mr Watson demanded tougher action against anti-Semitism in an interview with The Observer.

All the Israeli newspapers report the re-imposition of US sanctions on Iran. This morning, Kan radio news includes an assessment from Israel’s intelligence community, that it is optimistic about the chances of reaching a new agreement with Iran that will deal with the nuclear issue and stop its activity in the Middle East, stop its development of surface-to-surface missiles and improve human rights in Iran. The intelligence community believes American sanctions will have an impact on Iran and will produce a change in the Iranian regime’s policies.

Yediot Ahronot’s reports on new information obtained by the police investigating Case 4000, which revolves primarily around the relationship between Prime Minister Netanyahu and businessman Shaul Elovitch. The paper claims “the two men secretly met in the Prime Minister’s Residence on Balfour Street in Jerusalem in 2015, prior to a decisive meeting by the Council for Cable and Satellite Broadcasting about the merger between Bezeq and Yes. The detectives from the Israel Police’s Economic Crime Unit have testimony in hand indicating that the meeting was about the merger and that Elovitch, who owned a controlling share in Bezeq, had asked for the meeting and came away from it very pleased.”

Maariv assesses the situation in Gaza and the efforts to reach a ceasefire. The paper reports, “the Israeli situation assessment is that Hamas wants to reach an arrangement but that significant progress will be unattainable since all the sides involved, including the PA, have adopted inflexible opening conditions. This assessment is that Hamas tried for four months to secure at least one significant achievement that would substantially improve the situation in the Gaza Strip”. Israel is proposing a return to the situation that was in place before the marches of return (March 2018) and to making any progress beyond that contingent on progress in the return of the Israeli soldiers and civilians being held in Gaza and a complete end to all forms of terrorism, including the flying fire-kites and balloons. Hamas has rejected those terms. If Hamas were to agree to an immediate cease-fire, that would take it four months back, with no achievements for itself to show.  The paper criticises the Palestinian Authority and its Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who has “adopted a very unyielding position”.  The paper adds: “The assessments in Israel is that not only do they not intend to resume paying funds that they have cut, but that Abu Mazen might even make further cuts.”  Yediot Ahronot  updates on the fires caused by flying firebombs – yesterday there were another six fires on the Israeli side of the border.

Haaretz reports that the defence establishment supports easing restrictions on Gaza even before the return of the bodies of the IDF soldiers and the captive civilians. According to senior IDF officials, it is possible to promote humanitarian initiatives in the Gaza Strip that will postpone a possible military confrontation. Senior defence officials have recently said in various forums that Israel must “do everything” in order not to be the party that will cause the collapse of the arrangement. At the same time, the paper reports that sources in the Palestinian Authority say that Israel and Egypt are promoting an outline for an arrangement in Gaza without the involvement of Ramallah.

Maariv reports on the latest Palestinian opinion polls conducted by the Jerusalem Media & Communication Centre.  The poll found that the Palestinians are divided over resuming negotiations over a peace plan with Israel — 49.1 per cent are in favour of resuming negotiations and 45.6 per cent are against. If elections for president were held in which Abu Mazen and Ismail Haniya were to run, 35.3 per cent support Abu Mazen and 19.3 per cent said that they would vote for Haniya. If elections were held without Abbas running, 11.7 per cent said that they would vote for Fatah activist Marwan Barghouti while 11.6 per cent said that they would vote for Haniya. Mohammed Dahlan, a Fatah leader, came in third place with 8.3 per cent. Regarding the Oslo Accords, which were signed 25 years ago between Israel and the PLO, more than 45 per cent of respondents said that the accords had been detrimental to Palestinian national interests. Only 11.9 per cent said that the accords had been good for the Palestinian people and 34 per cent said that they had had no impact. More than 61 per cent of respondents said that they were opposed to the Oslo Accords, as opposed to 24 per cent who said that they supported them. Regarding the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Fatah, more than 37 per cent of respondents said that the PA was responsible for the conflict, as opposed to 29 per cent who blamed Hamas. The majority of respondents, about 56.9 per cent, were pessimistic about the likelihood that the reconciliation agreement that was signed in October 2017 would be implemented, versus 35.5 per cent who said the opposite.

Yediot Ahronot says that the first meeting of the special Ministerial Committee to examine Druze and other minority communities was an “embarassment” as only five ministers, aside from the Prime Minister, out of the 13 ministers who were appointed to the committee, bothered to attend the meeting. Netanyahu reprimanded the ministers over the low turnout, and said: “The ministers fought to join the committee. Today there’s time for improvement. Next time people are going to get fired.”