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10 hours agoPinned
Trump shares video showing massive military strike in Iran at night
President Donald Trump shared a video on Truth Social on Monday showing a military strike in Iran at night.
The video showed explosions lighting up the sky.
According to reports, the U.S. carried out a massive strike on an ammunition depot in Isfahan Monday.
A U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal the depot contained a high volume of 2,000-pound penetrator munitions.
5 hours ago
South Korea proposes $17 billion in additional budget to ease energy costs amid Iran war
South Korea on Tuesday proposed a supplementary government budget of $17.3 billion to help both consumers and businesses feeling the impact of surging energy prices amid the war on Iran.
Much of it will aim to ease “the burden of high oil prices,” according to the budget document. The measure also seeks to support low-income earners and young people, as well as companies affected by the conflict in the Middle East.
It also carves out funds for an increase in grants to local governments.
“Beyond economic data, difficulties and anxiety felt by our people and companies are deepening more than ever,” Budget Minister Park Hong-keun said. “A pre-emptive response is more important than anything else.”
This is the second extra budget in less than a year under President Lee Jae Myung, who has vowed to pursue an expansionary fiscal policy to promote economic growth.
Reuters contributed to this report.
6 hours ago
Iranian foreign minister alleges attacks on Gulf Arab states only target US forces
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday claimed that Tehran’s attacks on the Gulf Arab states target only U.S. forces, although some civilian infrastructure has been struck throughout the region.
Araghchi’s comments, addressed to Saudi Arabia, come as Gulf Arab states are becoming frustrated with Iran, prompting them to encourage the U.S. to continue its military campaign against the Middle Eastern nation.
“Iran respects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and considers it a brotherly nation,” Araghchi wrote on X. “Our operations are aimed at enemy aggressors who have no respect for Arabs or Iranians, nor can provide any security … High time to eject U.S. forces.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
7 hours ago
Average US gas prices reach $4 a gallon as Iran war continues to choke global energy supply
The U.S. national average retail price of gasoline surpassed $4 per gallon on Monday, the first time it has reached that mark in more than three years, according to data from price-tracking service GasBuddy.
The $4-per-gallon milestone was last reached in August 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier that year.
Fuel prices have surged after Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global trade chokepoint that has disrupted energy shipping and production.
U.S. national average gasoline prices have jumped about $1.06 per gallon, or 36%, since U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran began late last month.
This comes after President Donald Trump pledged to lower energy prices and boost U.S. oil and gas production just weeks before the start of the conflict.
Reuters contributed to this report.
8 hours ago
Pair of Indonesian UN peacekeepers died in Lebanon while on escort duty
Two Indonesian United Nations peacekeepers died in southern Lebanon while on escort duty in support of United Nations Interim Force operations, according to the Indonesian Ministry of Defense.
The ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that two other soldiers were also seriously injured amid regional tensions.
The exact cause of the incident remains under investigation by UNIFIL in accordance with established procedures, the statement added.
An Indonesian soldier also reportedly died and several others were injured the day before.
“The Ministry of Defense emphasizes that the safety of peacekeeping forces must be the top priority,” the statement said. “All parties involved in the conflict are expected to respect international humanitarian law and ensure the safety of peacekeeping personnel.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
10 hours ago
Russia helping Iran deploy drones against US targets, Zelenskyy warns
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia is assisting Iran in developing and deploying drones to target U.S. assets in the Middle East.
The Ukrainian leader said Russians are sharing battlefield knowledge gained during their invasion of Ukraine, including guidance on how to carry out drone attacks.
Russia has also recently released a new first-person drone known as the KVS, developed after earlier drones faced limitations during shorter flights, according to reports.
Cooperation between Russia and Iran has expanded since 2022, when Moscow began deploying Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones—rebranded as the Geran-1—against Ukraine.
Zelenskyy also told Axios that Russia is teaching Iran how to deploy drones against U.S. and allied targets.
The Russians have also shared satellite imagery of U.S. and Gulf nations’ military bases with Iranian officials, Zelenskyy said.
“I think Russia is supporting Iran directly, 100 percent. The same format of sharing satellite images like they did in the case of Ukraine,” he told Axios.
“I am sure Russia wants a long war. They have benefits: The U.S. is focusing on the Middle East and may decrease military help to Ukraine. Sanctions are partially lifted. I see only benefits for Russia from the war with Iran continuing,” Zelenskyy said.
11 hours ago
Iran’s new IRGC chief is a hardliner, wanted by Interpol: report
A new central figure has emerged to shape Iran’s military and survival following the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and is now leading the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to reports.
The Jerusalem Post said Ahmad Vahidi’s profile increased as President Masoud Pezeshkian attempted to navigate a collapsing economy and international isolation, with Vahidi representing the old guard and the generation that rose from the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
“Vahidi is among the first commanders of the Quds Force,” said Nati Tubian, an expert on Iranian affairs, told the outlet.
“He is truly flesh of the regime’s flesh — a product of the IRGC’s foundational years who has climbed every rung of the ladder.”
Vahidi, a former Quds Force commander in the 1990s, is officially wanted by Interpol for his alleged role in the bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Argentina.
Tamar Eilam-Gindin, of the University of Haifa’s Meir and Miriam Ezri Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies, said his career is a roadmap of Iranian state-sponsored terrorism.
“The 1990s were characterized by intense Islamic Republic activity in foreign countries,” she said.
“There were numerous assassinations on European soil, as well as the major bombings in Argentina. Vahidi was a core part of that operational circle.”
Appointed defense minister in 2009 under then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he later became interior minister in 2022 and played a key role in the crackdown on protests following the death of Mahsa Amini.
“As interior minister, he was responsible for the logistics an
