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NASA updates the UN that it has detected on its radars: "Three unusual heat spots were observed in the Bandar Abbas area. There is concern that an underground nuclear facility in the area may have been damaged."

An explosion in southern Lebanon last week destroyed what is believed to have been a Hezbollah weapons depot. This latest in a series of mysterious “accidents” in Hezbollah-controlled precincts proved, as one Israeli official wryly remarked, that those who “sleep with rockets and amass large stockpiles of weapons are in a very unsafe place.” With the Party of God’s overland supply route through Syria choked off by the 22-month-long uprising against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, and Israel virtually in total control of the maritime route, Hezbollah’s stockpile is being systematically degraded.Yet the arsenal of Iran’s other regional proxy force, Hamas,...

The Houthi rebels in Yemen announced on Tuesday evening that they will attack any ship that violates the group's ban on Israeli vessels passing through the Red and Arabian seas, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden, effective immediately. The "ban on the passage of all Israeli ships" will continue "until the crossings to the Gaza Strip are reopened and aid, food, and medicine are allowed in," said the Houthis’ military spokesperson, Yahya Saree. Earlier on Tuesday evening, Al-Arabiya reported that the United States attacked Houthi radar facilities and weapons storage sites in the port of Al-Hudaydah in...

Take a unique walk inside one of the best preserved monuments of ancient Rome: Trajan's Column. Ascend the spiral staircase- rarely open to the public- to the top viewing platform for a one-of-a-kind view of Ancient Rome, and learn about the construction and meaning of this funerary monument that narrates the battles against the Dacians (modern Romania). Walk inside and ascend Trajan's Column | 8:22Darius Arya Digs | 28.1K subscribers | 127,903 views | August 14, 2023

Five Russian scientists who died in a plane crash on Tuesday had been helping Iran with nuclear secrets, it has been revealed. They were among 45 killed when the plane's lights failed in heavy fog and careered into a motorway before bursting into flames - leading conspiracy theorists to believe it was a deliberate plot to kill the nuclear experts. Russian security sources confirmed that the dead scientists worked at the controversial Bushehr nuclear plant on the Iranian Persian Gulf.

The people familiar with the matter have described the eight former Indian Navy officers as those with "unblemished" tenures of up to two decades. The men had served in important positions including as instructors in the Navy.The war, which commenced with the Hamas attacks of October 7, is far from over and there is much suffering yet to come The close bond between Sita, Urmila, Mandavi, and Shrutakirti proves that women are not enemies—a convenient narrative cultivated through centuries Qatar on Thursday left India 'shocked' when a court announced death sentences for eight former Indian Navy personnel. The men were...

Some experts believe the deal signifies an easing of tensions between Tehran and Washington. Five American prisoners held in Iran flew out of Tehran on Monday officials said, as part of a deal that saw nearly $6 billion in Iranian assets unfrozen. Despite the deal, tensions are almost certain to remain high between the US and Iran, which are locked in various disputes, including over Tehran’s nuclear program. Iran says the program is peaceful, but it now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. The planned exchange has unfolded amid a major American military buildup in the Persian Gulf,...

Dozens of Iranian drones and speedboats swarming two US Navy ships near the Persian Gulf after Washington sent them in to deal with Iran's renewed threat against one of the world's most important waterways, dramatic new footage has revealed. Iran's navy sent the small vessels to confront the USS Bataan and the USS Carter Hall in the fraught Strait of Hormuz, which sits between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, according to a video published on Saturday. The speedboats were manned with armed soldiers from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and came within inches of the ships,...

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday approved the deployment of the USS Bataan amphibious readiness group and the 26th Marine Expeditional Unit to the Gulf region, according to US officials. The readiness group consists of three ships, including the Bataan, an amphibious assault ship. An expeditional unit usually consists of about 2,500 Marines. In an announcement, US Central Command said the deployment will provide "even greater flexibility and maritime capability in the region.” The announcement did not name the ships, but US officials detailed the units involved in the deployment on condition of anonymity to discuss troop movements. Along with...

The U.S. is sending F-16 fighter jets to the Persian Gulf region to help protect ships from Iranian seizures in the Strait of Hormuz. The F-16 fighters were expected to arrive in the region over the weekend to augment A-10 attack aircraft that have been patrolling the Strait of Hormuz to deter Iranian ship seizures for more than a week, a defense official told the Associated Press. The move comes a little more than week after Iran attempted to seize two oil tankers near the strait, according to the U.S. Navy, opening fire on one of the tankers and only...

The White House said the US would respond to Iranian aggression together with allies and partners in the Middle East region.Iran tried to seize two oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz early Wednesday, firing shots at one of them, the US Navy said. It said that in both cases, the Iranian naval vessels backed off after the US Navy responded, and that both commercial ships continued their voyages. “The Iranian navy did make attempts to seize commercial tankers lawfully transiting international waters,” said Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet. “The US Navy responded immediately...

The U.S. Navy deterred Iranian forces from seizing two commercial tankers on Wednesday in separate incidents. First, at about 1 a.m. local time, an Iranian navy vessel approached the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss in international waters in the Gulf of Oman. It departed when the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul arrived at the scene, the U.S. 5th Fleet announced on Wednesday. Approximately three hours later, another Iranian vessel began harassing the Bahamian-flagged oil tanker Richmond Voyager in international waters roughly 20 miles off the coast of Muscat, Oman. It opened fire with both small arms and crew-served...

'European democracy is under attack': Roberta Metsola addresses EU Parliament corruption scandal By Euronews • Updated: 13/12/2022 - 11:31 Roberta Metsola address the European Parliament plenary in Strasbourg, France. Roberta Metsola address the European Parliament plenary in Strasbourg, France. - Copyright Philippe BUISSIN/ European Union 2022 - Source : EP Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, warned on Monday that there would be "no impunity" for those found guilty of corruption as she addressed what is perhaps the gravest graft scandal to hit the hemicycle in recent years. "Make no mistake, the European Parliament, dear colleague, is under...

Historians say early churches and monasteries spread along the Persian Gulf to the coasts of present-day Oman and all the way to India. Archaeologists have found other similar churches and monasteries in Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Three Iranian fast attack craft harassed two U.S. Navy ships entering the Persian Gulf on Tuesday, Navy officials told USNI News. Cyclone-class patrol coastal ship USS Sirocco (PC-6) and Spearhead-class USNS Choctaw County (T-EPF-2) were in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday when they were approached by three Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy fast attack craft in international waters. "One of the IRGCN vessels approached Sirocco head-on at a danerously high speed and only altered course after the US patrol coastal ship issued audible warning signals to avoid a collision. The Iranian vessel also came within 50 yards of the...

For a long time, scientists had assumed a gradual expansion of African people through Sinai into both Europe and Asia. Then, bizarrely, it became clear from both genetics and archaeology that Europe was peopled later (after 40,000 years ago) than Australia (before 50,000 years ago). Meanwhile, the geneticists were beginning to insist that many Africans and all non-Africans shared closely related DNA sequences that originated only after about 70,000-60,000 years ago in Africa. So a new idea was born, sometimes called the "beachcomber express," in which the first ex-Africans were seashore dwellers who spread rapidly around the coast of the...

Iranian state TV has claimed its navy chased a US vessel in the Persian Gulf, with video showing Revolutionary Guards cheering as they tail the speedboat. The footage shows at least one US-flagged vessel with around six personnel on board as two speedboats appear to be chasing it. A voice in Farsi says, ‘Keep chasing them,’ as other men cheer and whistle in the background. The report did not say when the encounter took place. The US Navy said it was not aware of any such incident at sea in the last few days. The American vessel in the clip...

Defense chiefs meet after suicide drone apparently targets Israeli-operated vessel near Oman, killing two foreign crewmen; Iranian media say attack was response to strikes in Syria. Israel's defense leadership convened Friday night to discuss what it believes to be an Iranian attack on a ship with Israeli ties that killed two foreign crewmen, as a senior government source accused Tehran of "sowing destruction" and said it was proving itself to be "a global problem." Meanwhile, state-owned Iranian news network Al-Alam citing "well informed sources," said the attack was in response to a reported Israeli strike in Syria that killed "two...

U.S. Navy Ship Fired Warning Shots At Iranian Boats After Close Encounter Iranian fast-attack boats charged at two U.S. ships in the Persian Gulf on Monday evening, causing one of the U.S. vessels to fire warning shots, the U.S. Navy said Tuesday ....Three armed speed boats operated by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps came within 68 yards of a U.S. Navy coastal patrol boat and a U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat operating in international waters of the Persian Gulf, the Navy said in a statement.U.S. personnel tried to hail the Iranian ships over the radio, but they did not respond,...

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards unveiled an underground missile base at an undisclosed Gulf location today, Iranian state media reported, at a time of heightened tension between Tehran and the United States. 'The base is one of several bases housing the Guards' Navy's strategic missiles,' the state media quoted the head of the Guards, Major General Hossein Salami, as saying. Scores of military trucks equipped with the anti-ship weapons were seen lining the walls of the underground tunnels of the secret base. Last year, the Guards said Iran had built underground 'missile cities' along the Gulf coastline...