World Echo

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had carried out missile and drone attacks on US military bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain on Wednesday in retaliation for American strikes on Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz. The exchange, after US President Donald Trump said that Iran had downed a US Apache helicopter near the strait, marks one of the most significant escalations since Washington and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire in April. "I believe the response should be very strong, very powerful, and that's what this one is," Trump told ABC News on Tuesday. The US military said it targeted Iranian air defences, ground control stations and surveillance radar sites in what it described as a "proportional response" to the downing of the helicopter, whose two crew members were rescued. Read: Iran will 'not hesitate to exercise' right to self-defence: foreign ministry The tit-for-tat attacks, just days after Iran exchanged fire with Israel...

The leaders of North Korea and China adopted a "far-reaching blueprint" for bilateral ties during Xi Jinping's recent visit to Pyongyang, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Wednesday. China's president made a rare visit to diplomatically isolated North Korea on Monday after hosting a series of world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, in Beijing. The trip also came at a time of unusually warm relations between North Korea and Russia, where Pyongyang has sent soldiers and munitions to assist Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Kim and Xi "expressed satisfaction and deep emotion over the fact that they provided a far-reaching blueprint for the development of the relations", KCNA reported. During the two-day trip, "the countries further deepened the revolutionary friendship and close comradely relationship and affirmed their steadfast will to develop the traditional DPRK-China friendly...

Multiple accounts on X, including pro-Iranians based on their past posts, have been sharing a video since Monday claiming to show massive Iranian strikes destroying two Israeli airbases and five military camps and eliminating several senior Israeli leaders. However, the video is old from March and no such targets were destroyed. The conflict began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel carried out coordinated airstrikes targeting Iran’s military infrastructure, including missile systems and nuclear-related facilities. The strikes marked a significant escalation in tensions between the countries, following a period of heightened regional instability and previous confrontations. Israel and Iran traded fire on Monday, seriously testing a fragile truce and threatening hopes for a deal to end the Middle East war. The new attacks, including a strike on an Iranian petrochemical complex, came hours after US President Donald Trump called on Israel to refrain from re...

Italy’s foreign minister on Tuesday condemned “unacceptable” remarks by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who attacked Rome after learning he was under investigation over the treatment of activists detained during seizure of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. “These are unacceptable words, unworthy of a minister,” Antonio Tajani said, referring to comments made by the far-right Israeli minister. “Italy is a friend of Israel that has always defended freedom and democracy,” Tajani added, saying Ben-Gvir’s words “demonstrate the moral standing of this gentleman.” Rome prosecutors have launched an investigation into Ben-Gvir in connection with the treatment of Italian nationals detained during the interception of the flotilla, according to Italian media reports. Also Read: Pakistan, seven other Muslim states condemn Israeli minister's 'disgraceful' actions against flotilla detainees The probe is part ...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and China's Xi Jinping agreed to expand cooperation in the areas of politics, economy and culture at a summit in Pyongyang that opened a new chapter in ties, the North's official KCNA news agency said on Tuesday. Making his first visit in seven years to China's only formal treaty ally, Xi told Kim he aimed to drive progress in ties, and both agreed to strive for closer strategic communication through visits by high-level officials, KCNA said. Kim told Xi he would fully support the "One China principle," which Beijing views as meaning that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one country, regardless of changes in the international situation, it added. China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced ​the use of force to bring the island under Beijing's control, although Taipei rejects the sovereignty claims. Read: Xi vows unwavering support for Kim On Tuesday, Xi visited Pyongy...

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday they would ban vessels linked to Israel from transiting the Red Sea, following renewed Israeli military strikes on Iran. The move has raised concerns about global shipping security and energy flows. The announcement comes amid heightened regional tensions, with markets closely watching whether the conflict could again disrupt key maritime trade routes. How big is the risk to global energy markets? Iran’s reported closure of the Strait of Hormuz following Israeli and US strikes on February 28 has already disrupted much of the Gulf’s oil and energy exports, contributing to higher prices and a broader energy shock. Saudi Arabia has since redirected more than 70% of its daily crude exports through the Red Sea port of Yanbu, making the route a critical lifeline for global oil supply and price stability. Any sustained Houthi disruption — through attacks on ships or port infrastructure — could significantl...