US Central Command forces have redirected 12 commercial vessels and disabled one since resuming a naval blockade of Iran nine days ago, the military said late on Thursday, as American strikes against Iranian targets continued into a 13th consecutive night. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download »»»

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met on Thursday on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Manila, Philippines. The two diplomats did not make any statements or take questions from reporters before or after the meeting, which lasted around 35 minutes due to»»»

President Donald Trump said late on Thursday that the US would begin using frozen Iranian assets to pay for ships and cargo damaged by strikes in and around the Gulf. "Please let this statement serve to represent, until further notice, that from this point forth, any and all damages done to Ships, »»»

DAMASCUS: Syrian border forces have seized more than 700,000 Captagon pills and over 40 kilograms of hashish in a series of anti-smuggling operations along the country’s border with Lebanon, the state-run SANA news agency reported on Thursday. Quoting the Syrian Ministry of Defense’s Media and Comm»»»

US President Donald Trump has told Axios that he is seriously considering restarting major combat operations against Iran, saying Tehran “haven’t received enough pain yet”. “I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it,” Trump wa»»»

NEW YORK CITY: The head of the UN body tasked with finding missing persons in Syria revealed that her agency processed more than 75,000 documents over the past year, a ninefold increase over the previous 12 months. However, authorities in Damascus have yet to grant her a permanent office inside the»»»

LONDON: While the technical particulars and political conditions of the nuclear agreement between Saudi Arabia and the US are yet to be fully revealed, there has been an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the news among experts and commentators in both countries. And, as a statement on Wednesday f»»»

A rising star among Democratic Party moderates, Virginia’s first woman governor Abigail Spanberger was elected the same night last November as Democratic Socialist New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani. In a wide-ranging interview with François Picard, Spanberger outlines a pragmatic vision of politic»»»

President Donald Trump on Thursday set a new condition to a US-Saudi nuclear deal signed the previous day by insisting the agreement was "totally subject to" the Gulf kingdom joining the Abraham Accords. Riyadh has resisted normalising relations with Israel, especially after the Gaza war, and the n»»»

Iranian strikes targeted Kuwait’s desalination and power plants for the fourth consecutive day on Monday. The attacks are putting unprecedented pressure on a Gulf country heavily dependant on desalination for its water supply. Iran is attempting to wage a “psychological war” on a country »»»

Abu Dhabi: The 22nd Liwa Dates Festival showcased how heritage events can support food security, empower farmers and preserve the UAE’s agricultural heritage. Combining agricultural competitions, heritage activities, family entertainment, educational programmes and sustainability initiatives, this »»»

Kuwait’s army says air defenses are currently confronting hostile missile and drone attacks from Iran, adding that any explosion sounds are from interceptions. The army urged the public to follow safety instructions from authorities.»»»

RIYADH: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states and Jordan jointly condemned the Iranian aggression against their territories, reaffirming a unified position based on resolutions adopted by the GCC Ministerial Council, the Council of Foreign Ministers of the League of Arab States, internat»»»

KYIV: Laura Loomer, an ardent ally of President Donald Trump with a reputation for incendiary social media commentary, sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday after a dramatic turnaround on the war that could have political reverberations back in Washington. Loomer had spen»»»

Washington: US President Donald Trump said that the United States would inflict "major military punishment" on Iran if Yemen's Houthi group continues attacking ships in the Red Sea. In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump said the United States would hold Iran directly responsible for any futu»»»

Hezbollah’s Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc criticized the Lebanese authorities of pursuing “political theater” and making successive concessions that undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty, arguing that recent government actions are a failed attempt to create the illusion of progress while the country rem»»»

NEW YORK CITY: The UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, warned the Security Council on Thursday that the security crises in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea risk pulling the Middle East into “an ever-widening circle of confrontation,” as he called for the full restoration of international na»»»

Riyadh: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states and Jordan jointly condemned the Iranian aggression against their territories, reaffirming a unified position based on resolutions adopted by the GCC Ministerial Council, the Council of Foreign Ministers of the League of Arab States, internat»»»

Four women and two men are in the running to succeed Antonio Guterres as leader of the United Nations, which faces unprecedented global instability, wars and its own crushing budget crisis. Observers say it is difficult to pick a favorite, given that the world's major powers are divided on the outc»»»

Iran flew Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders, military advisers and missile- and drone-related equipment into Yemen this month, according to four sources, in a move that suggests Tehran is ​seeking to strengthen the ability of its Houthi allies to threaten Red Sea shipping. Four so»»»

A gravity platform for the production of liquefied gas at the center for the construction of large-tonnage offshore structures of Novatek-Murmansk company stands in the village of Belokamenka in the Murmansk region, Russia, in 2023. The European Union passed new sanctions against Russia Thursday bu»»»

Climate change is the dominant force behind the falling water level of the Caspian Sea and outweighs human intervention such as upstream damming, water policy researcher Anoush Nouri Esfandiari said on July 22. The world's largest enclosed body of water, surrounded by Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan»»»

Climate change is the dominant force behind the falling water level of the Caspian Sea and outweighs human intervention such as upstream damming, water policy researcher Anoush Nouri Esfandiari said on July 22. The world's largest enclosed body of water, surrounded by Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan»»»

LONDON: Yemen’s pro-Iranian Houthi rebels have claimed attacks in the Red Sea on two Saudi oil tankers and say they will blockade the Bab El-Mandeb strait, a crucial passage into the Red Sea, as part of a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia. Gateway to the Red Sea Known as the “Gate of Tears” in Arab»»»

LONDON: Yemen’s pro-Iranian Houthi rebels have claimed attacks in the Red Sea on two Saudi oil tankers and say they will blockade the Bab El-Mandeb strait, a crucial passage into the Red Sea, as part of a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia. Gateway to the Red Sea Known as the “Gate of Tears” in Arab»»»

RIYADH: The Gulf states and Jordan called on the UN Security Council to issue an urgent resolution to halt Iranian attacks on their territories, reaffirming their right to self-defense. In a joint statement issued by the Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretariat on Thursday, Jordan and Gulf states hig»»»

"I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it," the US president told Axios on Thursday. Israel "would join in two minutes if I ask them to," but the US doesn't "need anybody" for the potential new round of aggression, Trump adde»»»

LONDON — Oil prices surged to $100 a barrel on Thursday as Tehran-backed Houthi rebels targeted Red Sea shipping and US President Donald Trump threatened to strike them in return.International benchmark oil contract Brent North Sea soared more than six per cent to hit the symbolic $100 level, as th»»»

PARIS, France — Coal-fired power generation is set to increase in 2026, driven by supply difficulties and soaring natural gas prices linked to the war in the Middle East, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Thursday.The conflict in the Middle East, pitting the United States against Iran, has»»»

American requests to deploy military aircraft in Bulgaria have fundamentally changed over time and should not be treated as part of the same operation, former Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynski said in an interview with Bulgarian National Radio, commenting on the government's decision to allow the d»»»

The price of Brent crude oil rose above $100 per barrel on Thursday, a sign of global concern over the renewed fighting between Iran and the United States. File Photo by Yonhap/EPA July 23 (UPI) -- The price of Brent crude oil rose above $100 per barrel on Thursday, a sign of global concern over th»»»

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - The United States benefits from oil supply disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Craig Murray, a Scottish political activist and former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, told Sputnik. "The Americans are not unhappy with the disruption of oil supplies. They actual»»»

An armed student rallies in support of the Houthi-imposed naval embargo against Saudi Arabia in Sanaa, Yemen, Wednesday. Hundreds of students gathered at Sanaa University to support the move. Photo by Yahya Arhab/EPA July 23 (UPI) -- The Houthis in Yemen claimed responsibility for two attacks on Sa»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has condemned in the strongest terms the attack by the Houthi group targeting the Saudi-flagged vessel Encelia while sailing in the Red Sea. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that this attack constitutes a grave threat to the safety and security of i»»»

FRANKFURT: The European Central Bank on Thursday kept its key deposit rate unchanged at 2.25 percent but opened the door to a rise in September as fresh fighting in the Middle East threatens to send prices higher. “Yes, it was a unanimous decision,” ECB President Christine Lagarde said of Thursday’»»»

WASHINGTON: The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives backed legislation on Thursday directing President Donald Trump to halt U.S. ​military action against Iran, the latest symbolic rebuke of the Republican president from Congress. The vote was 214-208 in favor of the war powers resolution a»»»

BEIRUT: The Iran-backed Hezbollah group on Thursday branded Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s recent visit to Washington a failure and said it showed the government’s submission to a foreign power. In a statement, the group’s lawmakers said the visit revealed “the extent of subservience and submissi»»»

DOHA, (Sputnik) - Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, will consider intensifying operations against Saudi vessels if the Gulf Arab kingdom continues its blockade of Yemeni airports and ports, Houthi political member Hezam al-Asad told Sputnik. "The scale of these operations may»»»

WASHINGTON, (Sputnik) - More than half of US citizens believe that the cost of the conflict against Iran estimated at $37.5 billion is too high, a poll conducted by YouGov showed on Thursday. The survey also found that 16% of the respondents suppose the price is adequate. At the same time, only 8% »»»

TEHRAN, (Sputnik) - Iran has warned the United Kingdom of the potential implications of its decision to provide its air bases allowing the United States to carry out strikes on Iran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnha»»»

After a twelfth night of US strikes, Iran has hit US bases in Jordan and Kuwait, claiming several military assets were destroyed. This also comes after rebel Houthis in Yemen struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, further expanding the conflict. FRANCE 24's Kethevane Gorjestani tells us more.»»»

Yemen's Houthi rebels say they have attacked two Saudi oil tankers. The Houthis are supported by Iran, and the attacks in the Red Sea could be a new front for the war between the US and Iran. But how will this affect the conflict?»»»

Dubai: The conflict between the US and Iran has entered a more dangerous phase, with hostilities spreading across the Middle East and raising concerns over regional security, global energy supplies and international trade. Although the UAE has not been directly targeted, residents and businesses ar»»»

NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reaffirmed solidarity with Gulf states and stressed the need to halt Iranian attacks threatening regional security during talks with GCC Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi in New York. The meeting took place on the sidelines of a UN Security Council h»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has condemned in the strongest terms the renewed hostile attacks by Iran targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with missiles and drones. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that these hostile attacks constitute a flagrant viola»»»

Frankfurt: The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged Thursday amid uncertainty about how volatile energy prices will affect inflation. The central bank for the 21 countries that use the euro currency left its benchmark rate unchanged at 2.25% following a quarter-point hike at its prev»»»

DUBAI: US President ​Donald Trump promised on Thursday “major military punishment” for Iran and its Houthi allies, after the Yemeni fighters struck at least one oil tanker in the Red Sea, extending the Middle East war to a second major shipping chokepoint.The prospect that disruption could widen to»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a series of phone calls on Thursday from his counterparts in Qatar, Jordan and Kuwait to discuss rising regional tensions. In separate calls, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Qatari prime minister and foreign minis»»»

The Pentagon’s plans to build Ukrainian Magura drones domestically won’t help it win conflicts, “because drones cannot win any war,” but it will “ensure a war-driven marketplace is well-situated for coming global economic and political shifts,” former senior DoD analyst-turned Iraq War whistleblowe»»»

President Donald Trump said on social media Thursday that Saudi Arabia must sign the Abraham Accords as part of its nuclear deal with the United States. File Photo by Nathan Howard/UPI | License Photo July 23 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump said on social media Thursday that Saudi Arabia must sign »»»