We have been bolstering our UK military presence in the Middle East since January, and we have already deployed capabilities to protect British people and our allies in the region, including Typhoons, F-35 jets, air defence systems and an extra 400 personnel into Cyprus. Since the strikes began, we've had British jets in the sky shooting down drones and have sent additional assets to the region to further reinforce our air defences, including more Typhoons and Wildcat helicopters with drone busting missiles.
The German soldiers and contingents were not the immediate target. And the bases themselves are not operated by the German Bundeswehr, which is only "guest" there along with troops from other nations, including the US. The Defense Ministry emphasized that precautions had been taken in good time to protect German soldiers in the Middle East.
Iran-backed militias around the Middle East are intensifying attacks against Israel, the US and their allies, in retaliation for the ongoing joint US-Israeli offensive against Tehran as the war draws in new armed actors, threatening wider chaos and violence. Israel and the US have targeted Iran's network of militant groups, with Iraq emerging as a key front in this new and often clandestine confrontation.
The Ministers strongly condemned the unjustifiable Iranian attacks against the GCC countries which threaten regional and global security and called on Iran to cease immediately its attacks, they said in a joint EU-GCC statement. The statement also reaffirmed that Gulf countries have the right to take all necessary measures to defend their security and stability and protect their territories, citizens and residents.
Maritime traffic through the strait, the narrow channel linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, has effectively been closed since strikes on Iran began. Some vessels have been diverted or delayed and ports and shipping companies are dealing with heightened security concerns and uncertainty.
That the criminal American and Zionist [Israeli] aggression targeted our guardian, our leader, the leader of the Nation, Imam Khamenei (may his soul be sanctified), along with a group of leaders, officials, and innocent sons of the Iranian people, represents the height of criminality.
If Washington respects our country's current status as stipulated in the Constitution and withdraws its hostile policy there is no reason why we cannot get along well with the United States. Our status as a nuclear-armed country plays an important role in deterring enemies' potential threats and maintaining regional stability.
The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, who previously raised concerns about the Chagos deal while serving as the Florida senator, issued an emphatic statement giving the agreement his full backing on behalf of the US. Today, the United States welcomed the historic agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Mauritius on the future of the British Indian Ocean territory specifically, the Chagos archipelago.
Late last month, President Trump took to social media to issue a not-at-all-veiled threat to the theocratic rulers of Iran: Come to the negotiating table and agree to "NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS," or risk the same type of swift and violent response that plucked Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from Caracas in the middle of the night. "Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!"
Chancellor Friedrich Merz is on a three-day visit to the Gulf region as Germany seeks closer partnerships on business, energy and security. DW has the latest. Merz met with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Thursday Image: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/picture alliance Skip next section What you need to know Chancellor Friedrich Merz is in Doha on his second stop of a three-day visit to the Gulf region On Wednesday, Merz met with the Saudi Crown Prince seeking 'new level' in ties
Abdoulaye Diop, the foreign minister of Mali, hosted a senior US official on Monday to chart a "new course" in relations between the United States and the junta-led nation. Nick Checker, who heads the US State Department's Bureau of African Affairs, reaffirmed Washington's respect for Mali's sovereignty. Ahead of Checker's visit, the bureau posted on X that the United States also looked forward to "consulting with other governments in the region, including Burkina Faso and Niger, on shared security and economic interests."
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warns that attacking Iran would be wrong and says Tehran is ready to return to negotiations. He urges a step-by-step diplomatic approach and cautions against escalation.
"Both sides agreed on "shuttle diplomacy" three years ago, with regular meetings at the highest level. Lee's national security adviser, Wi Sung Lac, said the summit's goal was to build trust between the South Korean and Japanese leaders. Lee and Takaichi discussed ways to boost cooperation in a raft of areas including cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, combating cross-border crime, and promoting people-to-people exchanges."
Trump initially wrote on his Truth Social platform, warning Iran that if it "violently kills peaceful protesters," the United States "will come to their rescue." At least seven people have been killed so far in violence surrounding the demonstrations, sparked in part by the collapse of Iran's rial currency. "We are locked and loaded and ready to go," Trump wrote, without elaborating.
Beijing has carried out its biggest-ever military drills off the self-governed island. China has launched more rockets as it continues its huge live-fire exercises off Taiwan. The drills, which Beijing named Justice Mission 2025, are widely seen as a show of force as China seeks to assert its claim that Taiwan is part of its sovereign territory. list of 3 itemsend of list
While Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this year achieved his dream of dragging the US into a military confrontation with Iran, it came at a steep and unprecedented cost for Israel. Seeing Netanyahu beg Donald Trump to be bailed out from a quagmire, a rising number of Americans openly acknowledge that Israel is not an ally but a liability. In September, the US's Arab allies also reached the conclusion that we Iranians have always underscored: Israel's recklessness is a threat to all.
Last week, Israel became the first country to formally recognise the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state. Israel described the move as being in the spirit of the United States-brokered Abraham Accords, which normalised ties between Israel and several Arab countries. We further note with deep concern reports that this recognition may serve as a pretext for the forced relocation of Palestinians to Northwestern Somalia, Somalia's letter to the UNSC stated.
Authorities in Nigeria said on Tuesday that the plane had made an unplanned stop at the Bobo-Dioulasso airport in accordance with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols due to a technical concern on its way to Portugal for a ferry mission. Ehimen Ejodame, a spokesperson for the Nigerian air force, neither confirmed nor denied comments about authorisation, or the lack of it, to make the landing but said an investigation into the incident was continuing.
