Australia grants humanitarian visas to Iranian women footballers
Australia has granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian women footballers who sought asylum, fearing persecution after refusing to sing their nati...
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.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
Australia has granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian women footballers who sought asylum, fearing persecution after refusing to sing their national anthem at an Asia Cup match.
U.S. President Donald Trump called his recent phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin “very good.” The two leaders spoke on Monday about the situation in Iran and other international issues.
Welcome to our live coverage as the conflict involving Iran enters its 11th day. Tensions in the region remain high as the United States and Iran exchange increasingly sharp warnings over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on Sunday as tensions between Washington and Westminster deepened over the conflict involving Iran. The call came less than a day after Trump criticised Britain’s response to U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.
Norwegian police are searching for a suspect after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo on 8 March caused minor damage but no injuries, in what authorities say may have been a deliberate attack linked to the Middle East crisis.
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