Israel- Lebanon operations raise nuclear escalation fears
The Middle East conflict has entered a new phase, with Israel expanding its operations into southern Lebanon and tensions with Iran escalating.&nbs...
Iranian and Russian navies staged a joint exercise in the northern Indian Ocean on Thursday, as Washington builds up its military assets in the region, including deploying warships near Iran, despite renewed indirect nuclear negotiations with Tehran.
“The primary objective of the drill is to promote maritime security and sustainable naval interactions in the Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean,” said Rear Admiral Hassan Maqsoudlou, spokesman for the exercise, on Wednesday.
The commander of the Russian flotilla, Captain First Rank Alexey Sergeev, stressed the close ties between the two countries, according to the Iranian Army’s website. “The current level of cooperation shows the ability to jointly manage and resolve maritime and coastal challenges,” he was quoted as saying.
Earlier this week, Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards held a two-day naval wargame in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, during which it partially shut the waterway to oil transit traffic.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued a strong warning against the U.S. military build-up in the region. Addressing a public meeting on Tuesday, as Iranian and U.S. nuclear negotiators met indirectly in Geneva, he criticised the U.S. military presence at its bases across the region, including the deployment of two aircraft carriers.
"Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware. However, more dangerous are the weapons that can send the warship to the bottom of the sea," he said.
Another joint drill among Chinese, Iranian, and Russian navies is reportedly scheduled to be staged in late February.
Meanwhile, President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran is committed to the swift and full implementation of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Russia, signed in January 2025.
At a meeting with Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev on Wednesday, the Iranian president said he welcomed several meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin since taking office in 2024.
“All discussions between Iranian and Russian presidents have resulted in key strategic decisions serving the shared interests of both nations and opening new horizons for bilateral ties,” he said.
The Russian minister visited Tehran to co-chair the 19th Session of the Permanent Iranian-Russian Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, held on 16-18 February, which resulted in the signing of one cooperation agreement and four memoranda of understanding.
Cuba and the United States have been at odds for more than six decades, with tensions rooted in the 1959 revolution that transformed the island’s political and economic system. Renewed focus on relations comes as Donald Trump’s rhetoric intensifies and conditions on the island worsen.
NASA is aiming to launch its Artemis 2 mission on Wednesday (1 April), sending astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, officials confirmed. According to the Space Administration, the launch window is due to open at 23:24 GMT, with additional opportunities to 6 April if delays occur.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that the U.S is in talks with the new Iranian regime. He said this in a post on his Truth Social account but warned that the U.S. will "Obliterate" Iran's electric and oil facilities if no deal is reached, especially regarding the Strait of Hormuz closure.
The four astronauts selected for NASA’s Artemis II mission have arrived in Florida, entering the final phase of preparations for the first crewed journey towards the Moon in more than five decades
Iranian Military Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim Zulfiqari has warned that American soldiers will become 'food for sharks' if U.S. President Donald Trump launches ground attacks against Iran. The threat comes after the U.S. military said it was deploying thousands of Marines to the region.
Russia has expelled a British diplomat, accusing him of economic espionage in a move that further strains already tense relations between Moscow and London. The United Kingdom described the action as intimidation and rejected the allegations outright, Reuters reports.
Two sailboats carrying humanitarian aid from Mexico arrived safely in Havana on Saturday, the Mexican Navy said, concluding a journey in which the vessels were delayed by bad weather and briefly reported missing.
China imposed sanctions on Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya on Monday, who is a close aide of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, due to his "collusion with Taiwan independence" forces, in its latest move in a diplomatic row over Taiwan.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he talked about a possible security partnership on Sunday with Jordan's King Abdullah over defending against drone attacks amid rising tensions over the Iran conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he had "no problem" with any country sending crude to Cuba as a Russian tanker neared a Cuban port with a badly needed shipment, signalling he was reversing course on blocking oil shipments to the country on Sunday.
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