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France says to deliver to Ukraine additional Aster missiles, Mirage fighters

French President Emmanuel Macron

“We will deliver in the days to come additional Aster missiles, new training programs and new Mirages,” the French leader said in a video posted by the Elysee Palace on the X social network.

He added that France, together with some other members of the coalition, will “confirm some additional initiatives.”

Additionally, Macron asserted that the “coalition of the willing” “will also need to support Ukraine’s energy resilience.”

The Russian side has repeatedly noted that flooding Kiev with arms merely prolongs the conflict.

Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon kill two in latest truce violation

It’s the latest in near-daily Israeli violations of the United States-brokered ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah that began in November.

The attack in the town of Toul in the Nabatieh district on Friday also injured two people, the ministry announced. It did not provide details on their condition.

A security source told Al Jazeera that the drone fired a missile at a car, directly hitting the vehicle and causing it to catch fire.

The Israeli military claimed it attacked sites linked to Hezbollah, including “a military camp and a site for the production of precision missiles”, without providing evidence.

Later, the military claimed its forces killed Abbas Hassan Karky, whom it identifies as “the logistics commander of Hezbollah’s Southern Front headquarters”. The attack was carried out in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon, the Israeli army added.

There was no confirmation or comment from Hezbollah.

Separately, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that the Israeli military carried out an air strike on the Kroum al-Marah neighbourhood in the southern district of Marjayoun with no injuries reported.

On Thursday, Israeli forces targeted the eastern region of Bekaa, killing two people, and later targeted Arabsalim in southern Lebanon, killing two others, including an elderly woman.

Israel has continued launching its assaults on Lebanese territory, particularly in the south, while maintaining a military presence at five border outposts despite the truce requiring its full withdrawal earlier this year.

The ceasefire brought to an end more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah that culminated in two months of open war.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has asked both the US and France to intervene to rein in Israel but to no avail. Last month, Aoun pushed to get more support from Washington after another deadly Israeli drone attack on southern Lebanon, which killed five people, including three children.

Israel’s prolonged violations have caused mounting civilian casualties and widespread destruction and hampered efforts by Lebanese authorities to implement the disarmament of Hezbollah in the south.

In August, the Lebanese government pledged to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year, but Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected the accelerated pressure, citing the ongoing Israeli attacks and occupation of Lebanese soil as a reason to hold onto its arms.

 

 

UK vows Ukraine allies will take Russian oil and gas off market after US sanctions

The prime minister urged other nations to follow the US and impose sanctions, and said allies had agreed on a “clear plan for the rest of the year” in supporting Kyiv.

Among the further pledges were plans to “push on with the progress” on Russian assets and “keep up the military pressure on Putin” as the conflict heads towards its fourth winter. The UK also announced it would “accelerate” its missile production programme to get more weapons to Ukraine.

It comes days after the White House imposed new sanctions on Russian oil in an attempt to squeeze Moscow.

Speaking in London after a coalition of the willing meeting alongside Zelensky, Sir Keir said: “We will act to take Russian oil and gas off the global market.

“Last week, the UK became the first country to sanction all of Russia’s oil majors. On Wednesday, the US acted decisively to join us together with further sanctions from the EU, and we’re choking off funding for Russia’s war machine.”

“I’m urging others to take these steps too, to go further to reduce their dependencies and incentivise third countries to stop buying these tainted resources,” he added.

The British and Ukrainian leaders were joined by NATO secretary general Mark Rutte, Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof and Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen for a press conference at the Foreign Office in Westminster following their discussions.

Rutte described President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to engage in ceasefire talks as “deluded aggression” and said that “the truth is that Putin is running out of money, troops and ideas”.

The leaders in London were joined by others virtually. Zelensky stated that the group discussed “enhancing our air defence”.

In a post on social media on Friday afternoon, the Ukrainian leader stressed he is “grateful for the shared position on the need to further increase pressure on Russia and continue work with the United States on developing clear and reliable security guarantees for Ukraine”.

Sir Keir also added that the UK was “accelerating” the push to provide Kyiv with “more than 5,000 lightweight multirole missiles”. He told the press conference that the project is “creating 200 jobs and supporting 700 existing roles at Thales in Belfast”.

It comes amid a diplomacy push over the US providing Tomahawk missiles. Mr Rutte said the matter remains under “review”.

Earlier on Friday, Zelensky got a ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle before a meeting with King Charles.

There was a royal salute as the Ukrainian leader shook hands with the King in the castle’s royal quadrangle – the first ceremonial welcome he has received in the UK.

Zelensky inspected the 1st Battalion of the Grenadier Guards and was then led inside the castle for an audience with the King.

The Ukrainian president told the press conference later that Russia “want to break Ukraine. They are doing everything to achieve it.”

While Zelensky continued to push for more military support from Europe, the Russian defence ministry said on Friday its forces had taken control of three more villages in eastern Ukraine.

According to the ministry, Russian troops have taken Bolohivka in the Kharkiv region, Promin in the Donetsk region, as well as Zlagoda in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Earlier, the ministry also announced its forces had captured the settlement of Dronivka in the Donetsk region.

The reported gains come after Donald Trump ramped up pressure on Vladimir Putin with new sanctions on Russian oil.

The United States this week imposed sanctions on Russia’s largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, while EU countries approved their 19th package of sanctions on Moscow that included a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports.

 

 

Zahhak Castle in Iran’s Hashtrood lit up using solar energy

The lighting system, installed at an altitude of 1,800 meters above sea level, uses 34 photovoltaic panels generating 20 kilowatts of electricity.

The project, costing 15 billion rials, provides full nighttime illumination for the castle and its surrounding archaeological site.

Director General of East Azarbaijan’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department Ahmad Hamzezadeh said the use of solar energy turns Zahhak Castle into a symbol of green tourism in the province.

He added that harnessing renewable energy in remote heritage sites reduces maintenance costs and ensures sustainable protection.

Zahhak Castle, also known as Narain Qala or Zahhak Qalasi, dates back over 2,000 years to the Parthian and Sassanid eras.

It was once a temple dedicated to Anahita, the goddess of water, and remains one of the most prominent archaeological landmarks in northwestern Iran.

Iran: Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon ‘terrorist crime’ fueled by US backing

Esmael baghaei

Several civilians, including school students in the Beqaa region of southern Lebanon, were martyred or injured in the Thursday attacks.

Baqaei stressed that the Zionist regime must be held accountable and prosecuted for its continued atrocities and aggression.

The spokesperson said Israel’s ongoing impunity—ensured by full American support—has emboldened it to persist in violating Lebanon’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and ceasefire commitments. These actions, he added, clearly expose the regime’s terrorist and hegemonic nature.

Baqaei urged the international community and the United Nations Security Council to fulfill their responsibility in confronting the regime’s lawlessness and crimes. He also extended Iran’s condolences to the victims’ families and the people of Lebanon.

“Eysh-e Hara” Festival celebrates southern Iranian heritage on Qeshm Island

The local event attracted large crowds of residents and tourists who gathered to experience a lively showcase of camel racing, traditional cuisine, and children’s activities, along with performances by prominent Iranian artists.

Set against the scenic backdrop of the island’s plains, the festival featured the Gevarzin grass field and camel-racing track as its main venues.

“Eysh-e Hara” Festival celebrates southern Iranian heritage on Qeshm Island

The “Eysh-e Hara” celebration, whose name reflects joy, festivity, and connection to nature, offered a colorful glimpse into the deep-rooted customs of southern Iran’s desert communities

Organizers described the festival as part of an ongoing effort to preserve and promote local heritage, strengthen community ties, and attract cultural tourism to Qeshm, which is part of the UNESCO-designated Qeshm Geopark.

More in pictures…

Zargar: Iran’s enigmatic village with a European face

Often called “a piece of Europe in Iran,” Zargar lies about two hours from Tehran, near the town of Abyek.

Home to roughly 800 residents, the village is known for its people’s unique language, called Zargari or Romano, which shows traces of Indo-European roots and is spoken nowhere else in Iran.

The origin of Zargar’s community remains unclear.
Some believe their ancestors migrated from Europe centuries ago, while others say they are native Iranians shaped by cultural and linguistic blending over generations.

Zargar: Iran’s enigmatic village with a European face

Daily life in Zargar revolves around farming, livestock, and beekeeping, while women play a central role in dairy production and handicrafts.
Despite modernization, many traditions are still observed during local festivals and ceremonies.

Visitors to Zargar find a serene landscape of sloping-roof houses, wheat fields, and rolling hills, ideal for photography and short rural trips.
Spring offers the best weather, though the village remains pleasant through much of the year.

For travelers seeking mystery, culture, and simplicity, Zargar is a captivating journey into Iran’s living folklore.

Iran UN Envoy: US Real Source of Instability in Region

Speaking on Thursday night at a UN Security Council session titled “The Situation in the Middle East: The Question of Palestine,” Amir Saeid Iravani said that the United States’ illegal military presence and destabilizing actions have intensified conflicts and instability across the region.

Iravani stated that the Zionist occupying regime has become a grave and undeniable threat to regional and international peace and security.

Referring to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Iravani said that over the past two years, the Israeli regime has carried out systematic, indiscriminate, and disproportionate bombings against innocent civilians.

According to him, more than 68,000 Palestinians have been killed, thousands remain missing, and over 20,000 children have lost their lives. “All vital infrastructure has been destroyed—hospitals, schools, and water systems have been reduced to rubble. Gaza has truly become a land of devastation,” he said.

The Iranian envoy described this as “a living testament to the total impunity enjoyed by the Zionist regime.”

He added that as the military operations in Gaza come to an end, the world is only beginning to grasp the full scale of the catastrophe that has unfolded.

He stressed that the Islamic Republic of Iran supports any credible and effective initiative aimed at ending the genocide in Gaza, ensuring the full withdrawal of occupying forces, establishing a permanent ceasefire, facilitating the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, and restoring the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people.

Iravani also condemned the Zionist regime’s large-scale and unprecedented attacks in June against residential areas, hospitals, and peaceful nuclear facilities in Iran operating under full IAEA supervision. “In these unlawful assaults, 1,100 innocent civilians, including 132 women and 45 children, were killed, and more than 5,700 others were injured,” he noted.

Iravani emphasized that “those responsible for planning and committing war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity must be prosecuted, and the culture of impunity that has shielded the Zionist regime for decades must finally come to an end.”

Iran warns against continued colonial expansionism of Zionist regime 

Esmael baghaei

The spokesperson described the resolution as another step in the path of the Zionist regime’s colonial and criminal expansionism, which continues eight decades of persistent violations of the fundamental right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, and as a breach of peremptory norms of international law, particularly the right of nations to self-determination.

Referring to the ongoing grave violations of human rights and humanitarian law in the West Bank alongside the genocide in Gaza, the spokesperson emphasized that the declared and implemented policies of the Zionist regime in the West Bank, including repeating the illusion of a “Greater Israel,” the establishment of new settlements, and the adoption of new resolutions in the Knesset, confirm the regime’s plan for comprehensive ethnic cleansing throughout the entire occupied Palestine. This situation, he stressed, further reinforces the responsibility of all governments to adopt effective measures to prevent the “colonial erasure” of Palestine.

Baqaei called for immediate action by Islamic countries and the international community to prevent the blatant encroachment upon the historical rights of the Palestinian nation, and underlined the responsibility of the United Nations to halt the Zionist regime’s ongoing aggressions against Palestinian identity and rights.

Russia says it response to Tomahawk strikes would be ‘staggering’

Speaking to journalists after a meeting in Moscow, Putin cautioned that any use of Tomahawk missiles against Russian territory would provoke a powerful reaction. “This is an attempt at escalation,” he said.

“But if such weapons are used to strike Russian territory, the response will be very serious, if not downright staggering. Let them think about that.”

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly raised the issue of obtaining Tomahawk missiles during his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House last week. According to Axios, the request was turned down, although US officials have stated that the option remains under review, with Trump expected to make the final decision.

The Tomahawk, a long-range cruise missile with a maximum range of around 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles), requires lengthy and complex training to operate, Trump told reporters on Wednesday during talks with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House.

“This would be an escalation. It is an escalation attempt,” Putin stressed, commenting on a potential delivery.

“If Russian territory is hit… with such a weapon, the response will be very serious if not outright overwhelming,” the president added, encouraging Western leaders “to think about it.”

Moscow has previously warned that although Tomahawk deliveries would not affect the state of the battlefield of the Ukraine conflict, they would diminish peace prospects and strike a blow to US-Russian relations.

Putin discussed the issue with Trump during a phone call last week. Delivering the missiles would “severely undermine the prospects of a peaceful settlement,” he noted at the time. Following the call, Trump said it would be “not easy” for the US to provide Kiev with Tomahawks and maintained that Washington should not deplete its own arsenal for Ukraine.