On July 14, the civilian merchant vessel Atlas Bey, owned by the Turkish company Ocean Maritime, was attacked by a drone off the coast of Odesa, Ukraine. This was reported by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.   “Eleven crew members on board are citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan. According to the available information, with the…

US forces carried out strikes against Iran for a fourth day in a row on Tuesday, July 14, and reimposed a naval blockade to prevent ships from sailing to or from the country’s ports. The military action came after US President Donald Trump backed down on his threat to heavily tax ships passing through the…

U.S. forces have carried out strikes on Iran for the third consecutive night. Military facilities in Bushehr, Chabahar, Bandar Abbas, and several other cities were targeted. The U.S. Central Command said the strikes are intended to weaken Iran’s capability to attack civilian vessels. Iran, in turn, announced that it had struck U.S. air bases in…

France’s state-owned energy group EDF temporarily shut down three nuclear reactors on Sunday, while warning that seven others may need to adjust their power output as the heatwave sweeping the country continues, Euronews reports. According to the company, the measure is an environmental protection requirement to avoid discharging excessively hot water into rivers already warming…

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) has entered a critical phase due to what he described as repeated U.S. violations, while insisting that Iran has honored its commitments in good faith.   Speaking at his weekly press conference, Baghaei said Tehran has consistently adhered to…

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said revenge for the killing of his father and others killed in the two recent wars would be carried out regardless of whether he or other officials remained in office.   “We pledge to avenge your pure blood and the blood of all the martyrs of these two wars against…

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in the Omani capital Muscat on Saturday to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues, Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA reported.   Omani officials welcomed Araghchi upon his arrival, the news agency said.   No further details are available as yet.   On Friday, IRNA reported that the situation in…

On 10 July 2026 the Delegation of the Republic of Armenia to the UN participated and made a statement at the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS.   Armenia reaffirmed its commitment to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Progress in HIV prevention, testing, and treatment was highlighted.   It was…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had a rather unusual parting gift for NATO leaders following the alliance’s 2026 summit this week – a vintage revolver, Euronews reports. NATO leaders each received an engraved Magnum .357 revolver and live ammunition after the meeting in Ankara, which took place from 7 to 8 July and saw allies…

According to Hürriyet, Türkiye’s S-400 air defense systems are being delivered to the Gulf states and have already been sold to a third country. Some sources claim that the buyer is the United Arab Emirates, while others say that Qatar has purchased the systems.   The newspaper notes that both countries need air defense systems…

Russia introduced a ban on diesel exports on Wednesday as part of a raft of ​measures to support the domestic fuel market after systematic Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries triggered gasoline shortages and ‌price spikes, Reuters reports.   Drivers in many regions are facing hours-long lines to refuel, as intensifying Ukrainian strikes on Russian…

US President Donald Trump said on July 8 that he currently sees no reason to send ground forces to Iran. He said this during a meeting with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.   “No, there’s no point in me doing that. <…>Why would I send [ground troops]…

US President Donald Trump said that despite the complexity of the situation, significant progress has been made in the war in Ukraine in recent weeks.   During talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO summit in Ankara on July 8, Trump commented on his contacts with the presidents of Ukraine and Russia. He…

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte addressed Russian leader Vladimir Putin during the Alliance summit in Ankara, warning the Kremlin leader not to provoke the bloc.   “Don’t fool with us. Don’t play with us. We will never attack anyone. We will only defend our way of life, our democracy, and our territory,” Rutte said, addressing…

Reuters. French President Emmanuel Macron met on Tuesday (July 7) with his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus after blasts rocked Syria’s capital.    Two bombs exploded near a hotel in Damascus where Macron had spent the night, but his office said he did not hear the explosions.   Syrian authorities said 18 people were…

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos posted photos on her social media page, announcing that she had made jam from Armenian apricots.   “This is jam I made from Armenian apricots.   Apricots are symbolic of a shift that is taking place in Armenia. At last month’s election, the majority of Armenians voted for parties that…

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said Belarus would not send its troops to fight in Ukraine but simultaneously blamed Western countries for prolonging the war and increasing military tensions in Europe.   Speaking at a ceremony honoring graduates of Belarusian military academies on Monday, July 6, Lukashenko claimed an international “war party” was determined to keep…

The Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia Narek Mkrtchyan, the U.S. State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Yehuda Kaplun, and Rob Garson, President of the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists, hosted a “Shabbat Lunch” at the Armenian Embassy dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the United States. The event was…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni discussed bilateral relations, defense cooperation, and regional and global developments during a phone call.   In a statement issued on Friday, July 3, Turkey’s Directorate of Communications said Erdogan emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation between the two countries in all areas, particularly in…

Iran’s foreign minister corroborated US media reports that Washington warned Tehran Israel may have had its chief negotiators on a target list during April talks in Islamabad, the same talks that produced the framework deal signed on 17 June, Euronews reports.   Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has confirmed media reports that officials in Washington…

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will not attend the funeral ceremonies of his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, because of security concerns, Ayatollah Hakim Elahi, Khamenei’s representative in India, has stated.   He said the risk posed by alleged Israeli threats and surveillance has made the new leader’s public appearance “dangerous,” ANI reports.  …

Reuters. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi on Thursday (July 2)  pledged to boost their two countries’ cooperation in artificial intelligence, defence, energy, and economic ties.   Takaichi is on a three-day visit to New Delhi as the two Asian partners hold their 16th annual summit.    Bilateral trade between…

The death toll from the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to 2,295. More than 11,000 people have been injured. According to the President of the National Assembly, Venezuelan and foreign rescue teams, along with volunteers, have pulled nearly 6,500 people alive from the rubble. The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck on June 24,…

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday announced a €20 million ($22.7 million) program to promote peace in the South Caucasus region as she embarked on a visit to Azerbaijan.   The “peace-fostering program” was announced by von der Leyen at a joint press conference in Baku following talks with President Ilham Aliyev….

Afghanistan’s Taliban regime said they have carried out strikes on targets along the border with Pakistan, injuring several people in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province.   Pakistan’s military said it had shot down four rudimentary drones and warned any further provocation “would receive a befitting response”. The BBC has been unable to independently confirm the attack….

The Russian government is set to suspend traffic through several railway checkpoints on its borders with Finland, Estonia, and Latvia starting July 1, according to a government order, The Kyiv Independent reports.   The order did not provide a reason for the closures.   The statement, published on June 30, says Russia will “temporarily suspend”…

Azerbaijan is on the verge of establishing a media “super-regulator” with unprecedented powers, Reporters without Borders said in an announcement. Published on the organizations website, it reads:    The bill creating a Media and Broadcasting Council — examined by Parliament at its second reading on Tuesday, 30 June — would concentrate the regulation, funding, training…

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking to leverage the upcoming NATO summit to press for deeper Turkish involvement in Europe’s defence architecture, calling for the removal of restrictions on defence trade among NATO allies.   Speaking on Monday to parliamentary delegates from all 32 NATO member states in Istanbul, the Turkish president said that Turkey’s contributions…

Eleven people have died after a civilian aircraft carrying skydivers crashed in the town of Tomblaine in eastern France, local officials said, BBC reports.   The pilot and all 10 passengers were killed, including five instructors and five people who were preparing to skydive for the first time.   The plane, which was being used…

Finnish President Alexander Stubb signed amendments to the country’s Nuclear Energy Act allowing the import, transit and transportation of nuclear weapons through Finland, the Finnish Parliament said.   The law will take effect July 1.   The legislation removes previous restrictions on such activities and adapts Finnish law to the country’s new security environment following…