Iran president says country has no 'fundamental disagreements' with neighbors
President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran is willing to resolve tensions through dialogue, blaming U.S. interference for divisions in the region, state-run IRNA reported.
Pezeshkian said during Monday's meeting with Lavrov that U.S. military bases in neighboring countries increased tensions, instability and insecurity.
Hegseth makes surprise trip to Middle East
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has made an unannounced trip to the Middle East.
Hegseth announced on social media that he was in the Middle East visiting troops that were on an unspecified, "historic mission." However, the post also came several hours after Axios reported that Hegseth was in Israel visiting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
When asked about the visit and the reports, the Pentagon declined to comment.
Iran embraces Russia, rejects German accusation of attack on Jewish leader
Iran's top security official called for stronger cooperation after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Tehran on Monday, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said.
Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said that cooperation could include joint economic projects, such as the completion of transportation corridors. Lavrov, meanwhile, condemned the U.S.-Israeli military attacks on Iran as illegal.
Also in Tehran on Monday, Iran summoned Germany's ambassador over what the Iranian Foreign Ministry called baseless accusations. Germany had summoned Iran's ambassador in Berlin after a court sentenced two men with ties to Iran's intelligence service for plotting to kill the leader of a Jewish organization in Germany.
Iran's attempts to strike US ships near Hormuz 'unsuccessful': USS George Washington Captain DeLeo
Capt. Nicholas DeLeo, commanding officer of the forward-deployed USS George Washington, told reporters during a recent media visit in the US Fifth Fleet area that Iran had attempted to strike “a variety of ships” near the Strait of Hormuz, but none had succeeded.
“Those have all been unsuccessful, and I can tell you that reason is 100% due to our sailors on this ship,” DeLeo said, according to the carrier’s commanding officer’s remarks reported during the visit.
He said the carrier and its crew use both offensive and defensive measures to protect Navy vessels, and that crews continuously train for missile and drone threats.
The Nimitz-class carrier is operating in the Arabian Sea near the Strait of Hormuz, supporting the US maritime blockade of Iran, escorting commercial tankers and defending shipping lanes.
DeLeo’s statement indicates that Iranian attacks are not limited to a single vessel type or target, suggesting threats against military ships, commercial vessels, or both, near one of the world’s most strategically sensitive energy chokepoints.
His claim that all attempts were unsuccessful is a morale and deterrence message, but it also implies an ongoing campaign of missile, drone, or other maritime threats requiring constant defensive operations.
Update: At least 53 people, 200+ hurt in Houthi missile strike
A Houthi missile strike on a Yemeni government base killed at least 53 people and injured more than 200, the deadliest attack since the Iran-aligned group resumed large-scale operations in July, AP reported.
Houthi rebels struck Yemeni government forces with ballistic missiles at a camp in Shabwa province, killing at least 53 soldiers and wounding 200 recruits, according to military officials and the provincial government. The BBC reported that three ballistic missiles hit the Martyr Ahmed al-Sulaimani Training Centre at Al-Alam camp, where new internal-security recruits were training; authorities reported 53 deaths and more than 200 injuries.
'Blatant aggression': China’s premier backs Iran, slams US and Israeli strikes
Chinese Premier Li Qiang condemned US and Israeli attacks on Iran and renewed China’s opposition to unilateral US sanctions in a Monday meeting with Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported. According to IRNA, Li said the strikes were “blatant aggression” that came during negotiations and without UN Security Council approval. He also backed reviving the Islamabad Agreement and said Beijing would keep defending Iran’s legitimate rights in international forums. Aref was in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, for a meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) prime ministers.
Russia stands by Iran as Trump shrugs off ‘limited’ Moscow-Beijing support
Russia pledged to sustain political and economic cooperation with Iran during Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Tehran on Monday, even as US President Donald Trump welcomed what he called "limited" Russian and Chinese backing for Tehran.
Lavrov met Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian, reaffirming Moscow’s 20-year strategic partnership and saying Russia would not abandon economic and investment agreements despite the war.
He called Iran’s cause “just,” accused Washington and Israel of an unprovoked campaign, and urged diplomacy, restored Gulf navigation and guarantees against renewed strikes.
Trump, meanwhile, said Russia and China were doing “very little” to help Iran, calling their limited support “a very positive thing.”
Iran blacklists 122 vessels, says it acted against over 40
Iran’s has placed 122 vessels on its latest “non-compliance list,” saying it has acted against more than 40, according to a statement published by Iranian state media. The Gulf Strait Authority said 19 vessels are negotiating to avoid listing or secure removal if already included. Two vessels have agreed to meet their obligations and be removed, while about 30 others have received warnings and will be listed if they fail to respond. The statement said the authority would assist vessels that voluntarily address violations and seek removal from the list.
Iran officials ramp up calls for nuclear weapons
Iranian officials are now openly declaring that the time for nuclear weapons has come, with a growing faction demanding Tehran weaponise its enrichment program and withdraw from the NPT to establish a complete deterrent against future US-Israeli attacks, per the Financial Times.
Iranian officials now argue that negotiations alone have failed to prevent repeated attacks.
Hassan Ghashghavi, a spokesperson for parliament’s National Security Committee, said Iran’s new Supreme Leader could issue a new ruling on nuclear weapons and “nobody can stop him from doing so.” One insider estimates support for acquiring a bomb has surged from “almost zero to over 50%.”
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Iran summons German ambassador over accusations
German Ambassador Axel Dittmann was called to Iran's Foreign Ministry on Monday over what Tehran described as repeated baseless accusations by German officials, state-affiliated media reported.
The move followed Germany's decision to summon Iran's ambassador in Berlin after a Hamburg court last week sentenced two men to lengthy prison terms over plots to attack prominent Jewish and pro-Israel figures in Germany. The men were convicted of spying for Iran and identifying potential targets.
Alireza Yousefi, a senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official, rejected the allegations, describing them as a longstanding tactic used by Israel and some Western countries against Iran.
Yousefi also accused Berlin of attempting to conceal its alleged involvement in American and Israeli military strikes against Iran, saying Tehran would continue pursuing international accountability for what it called “Germany's participation in war crimes.”
Saudi airport closure disrupts life in kingdom's capital
The prolonged closure of Riyadh's airport after a series of fatal attacks has exposed the risks confronting Saudi Arabia's drive to shift its international image, disrupting businesses, airlines and residents more than a week after flights were grounded.
Deadly strikes by Yemen's Houthis in recent weeks have dealt a blow to the kingdom, forcing the airport to close until further notice and a slate of events to be postponed or cancelled including its flagship investment forum dubbed "Davos in the desert".
Government agencies in the Saudi capital have also told employees to work from home starting Monday, one worker and two consultants told AFP, as has the 99-storey Kingdom Centre skyscraper in downtown Riyadh housing the regional office of the International Monetary Fund.
"When people start throwing missiles directly at Riyadh airport and any other airport, you can't just continue to operate," said Captain Desmond Ross, an aviation expert based in Dubai and Ireland with decades of experience as a pilot and air traffic controller.
"An attack on an airport is something entirely different from a non-aviation target," he told AFP.
"I think Riyadh has suffered that more dramatically than any other of the Gulf nations or the Arab nations," during the ongoing Middle East war.
Iran President Pezeshkian meets Russia’s Lavrov in Tehran
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Tehran on Monday to discuss bilateral relations and regional and international developments, according to state-affiliated news agencies.
The two officials also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between Tehran and Moscow, the country’s presidency said, without providing further details.
Yemen forces launch 13 air strikes on Houthi targets in Taiz
Yemeni government forces said they had launched 13 air strikes targeting Houthi positions, weapons sites and vehicles across Taiz governorate.
The strikes targeted several locations, including 60th Street north of Taiz city, Taiz Airport, Al Rabiei in the northwest, Dhubab district in the west, and Al Maafir and Al Masrakh districts in the south.
Netanyahu calls Trump 'by far, the greatest friend Israel has ever had'
US President Donald Trump told Benjamin Netanyahu he expects him to win a "tremendous" election victory next week, in a telephone call aired by the Israeli prime minister on Monday.
In the call on speakerphone that Netanyahu released a day after Trump endorsed him, the right-wing prime minister in turn called Trump "by far, the greatest friend Israel has ever had".
Macron arrives in UAE for official visit
UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Monday received French President Emmanuel Macron, who arrived in the UAE on an official visit.
An official reception ceremony was held for Macron upon his arrival at the airport. The national anthems of the UAE and the French Republic were played, while an honour guard lined up in salute.
US‑Israel war on Iran: Recent developments
Day 233: Iran officials ramp up calls for nuclear weapons
Day 232: 7-day Hormuz reopening plan still on the table: Iran
Day 231: Saudi Arabia intercepts four drones in Riyadh and east
Day 230: Iran faces cash shortages, military strain: CENTCOM
Day 230: Saudi-led coalition shows cruise missile interception