New ambassadors present credentials to President Erdogan in Ankara

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received letters of credentials from the newly appointed ambassadors of the EU Delegation to Türkiye, South Korea, Mongolia, Kuwait, and Malaysia at the presidential complex in Ankara. The ceremony included separate welcomes and souvenir photos.

Türkiye's Fidan meets Russian Security Council secretary in Moscow

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Sergey Shoigu, secretary of Russia's Security Council, in Moscow on Wednesday for high-level talks, according to Türkiye's Foreign Ministry, which noted the encounter took place during Fidan's two-day visit to the Russian capital.

Turkish, Egyptian, Pakistani FMs discuss US-Iran peace process

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held separate phone calls with his Egyptian and Pakistani counterparts to discuss the US-Iran peace process and upcoming follow-up negotiations aimed at establishing lasting peace. The talks come as Pakistan, which led mediation, prepares for a signing ceremony in Switzerland on Friday.

Italy approves Leonardo-Baykar drone joint venture with conditions

Italy has given conditional approval to a 50-50 joint venture between defense firm Leonardo and Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar to develop next-generation unmanned aerial systems. The government imposed conditions including that international sales be limited to countries aligned with EU and NATO policies, and that sensitive technologies remain classified. The venture is named LBA Systems.

Israeli minister warns of 'worrying' Türkiye-Qatar-Pakistan axis

Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli told Israel's 103 FM on Wednesday that the emerging "Türkiye-Qatar-Pakistan axis" poses a strategic concern for Tel Aviv, claiming the three nations helped shape the US-Iran framework agreement amid criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's exclusion from the negotiations.

Yilmaz meets Lebanese deputy PM, warns of Israeli expansionism

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz received Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri in Ankara on Wednesday for talks stressing regional solidarity against Israeli expansionism and expanding bilateral cooperation, as Israeli attacks on Lebanon continued despite a fragile ceasefire.

Aselsan signs $905M air defense deal, Siper 2 completes firing test

Turkish defense firm Aselsan signed a €780 million ($905 million) contract with the Defense Industries Secretariat for air defense systems, strengthening the domestically developed Steel Dome multi-layered architecture. The contract covers systems including Korkut, Hisar, and Siper. Separately, the Siper 2 long-range system successfully destroyed a maneuvering target in its latest firing test.

Trump arrives hour late to G7, jokes 'I'm the boss'

US President Donald Trump arrived one hour late to the final day's morning session of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France. Upon entering the room, he joked to world leaders, "I'm the boss," drawing laughter from attendees. The session continued behind closed doors.

Pope Leo welcomes US-Iran deal, urges strengthened Middle East stability

Pope Leo XIV welcomed the US-Iran agreement as an “encouraging outcome” of dialogue, expressing hope it would strengthen mutual trust, security, and stability in the Middle East. He thanked the countries that mediated the deal. The accord, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, is set to be signed in Switzerland on Friday.

How the Iran war shook the global economy: energy, inflation, growth

The US-Iran war has left deep scars on the global economy through higher energy prices, rising inflation, weaker growth, and disrupted commodity markets. The World Bank forecasts global growth to slow to 2.5% in 2026—a post-COVID low—and inflation to rise to 4%. Gulf economies, developing nations, and food security have been disproportionately affected.

European Parliament backs overhaul of EU rules on migrant returns

The European Parliament approved reforms to EU rules on returning irregular migrants, including “return hubs” in third countries, detention of up to 24 months, and investigative measures. The vote was 418-218. The framework requires cooperation from those subject to return decisions and compliance with fundamental rights and international law.

Lebanon’s Aoun says country has ‘independent track’ in ceasefire negotiations

President Joseph Aoun stated that Lebanon is pursuing an independent approach in ongoing negotiations, emphasizing that any settlement will be reached through the Lebanese state and not at its expense. He said Beirut is “certainly in favor of a ceasefire and of any country that helps us, including Iran,” but stressed that Lebanon is sovereign in its decision-making.

G7 backs Ukraine military aid, welcomes US-Iran peace deal

G7 leaders pledged increased military support for Ukraine, including air defense and long-range capabilities, and welcomed the US-Iran agreement as an opportunity to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. They also endorsed a multinational maritime security initiative in the Strait of Hormuz, backed Lebanon’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah, and called for Gaza reconstruction.

US Embassy denies Ben-Gvir visa waiver, requires fingerprint, visit canceled

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir canceled his planned US trip after the US Embassy required him to provide fingerprints for a visa application, a procedure typically waived for senior officials. Ben-Gvir, who has arrest warrants in several countries, was denied diplomatic treatment. He has frequently criticized Trump and opposed the US-Iran deal.

Iran tells Russia Israeli attacks on Lebanon 'must stop completely'

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday that Israeli attacks on Lebanon "must stop completely," stressing the need for Washington to ensure proper implementation of the Islamabad ceasefire memorandum.

China offers humanitarian aid to Iran, Lebanon as peace deal nears

China announced it will provide humanitarian aid to Iran and Lebanon, saying it is “deeply saddened” by the humanitarian disaster caused by the conflict. The aid aims to assist recovery and reconstruction. Beijing’s decision comes as the US and Iran prepare to sign a Pakistan-mediated peace deal on Friday, which includes an end to Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

Lebanese president discusses southern Lebanon, UNIFIL operations with force commander

President Joseph Aoun met with UNIFIL commander Gen. Diodato Abagnara to discuss conditions in southern Lebanon, including difficulties facing UNIFIL movements and the post-mission phase. Aoun renewed condolences for peacekeepers killed. Despite a US-Iran agreement to end military operations in Lebanon, Israeli forces continued demolitions and shelling on Monday.

Israeli occupiers set fire to two mosques in occupied West Bank

Israeli occupiers set fire to parts of two mosques in the villages of Jiljilya and Mazra’a al-Nubani, north of Ramallah, and sprayed Hebrew slogans on their walls. The attacks come amid surging violence against Palestinians and their property. Since October 2023, Israeli forces have killed 1,169 Palestinians in the West Bank.

Trump suggests Israel let Syria 'take care of Hezbollah' in Lebanon

President Trump suggested to Israel that Syria should "take care of Hezbollah" in Lebanon, praising Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa as "very responsible" and "doing an amazing job." Trump criticized Israel's approach, saying "if Israel can't do the job without killing everyone else, Syria will do the job."

Iran to receive immediate oil sanctions waivers under US-Iran deal, WSJ reports

Iran will be allowed to immediately sell oil and fuel under the US-Iran deal, with sanctions waivers taking effect upon signing, the Wall Street Journal reported. The waivers also cover banking, transportation, and insurance services needed to facilitate transactions.

FAO chief economist warns Strait of Hormuz disruption risks global food crisis

Disruptions to trade flows through the Strait of Hormuz have created major bottlenecks in fertilizer and energy supplies vital to agriculture, raising the risk of accelerating food inflation and a potential food crisis, the FAO's chief economist warned. Corn, soybeans, and wheat prices have already risen.

Trump says Strait of Hormuz will be fully open, toll-free by Friday

President Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would be fully reopened by Friday and remain open to shipping toll-free on a permanent basis. He also said he would release the peace deal document with Iran and send it to Congress for review.

Albanian anti-government protests enter 17th day over Trump-linked tourism project

Anti-government demonstrators in Albania's capital continued protesting a planned tourism development project linked to US President Trump's daughter for the 17th consecutive day. Protesters chanted "Albania is not for sale" and demanded Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation.

Iran's Torabi receives new US visa, cleared to rejoin World Cup team

Iran's winger Mehdi Torabi has received a new multiple-entry US visa and is now cleared to rejoin Iran's national team for the remainder of the World Cup, the team's media department announced. Torabi's previous visa was issued for a single entry only.

Displaced Lebanese return to destroyed homes, businesses as war aftermath takes toll

Thousands of displaced Lebanese returning to southern villages after months of war are coming back to destroyed homes, ruined businesses, and entire neighborhoods scarred by Israeli bombardment. The returns accelerated after a US-Iran agreement aimed at ending the conflict, but for many, the return has turned into a painful confrontation with the scale of devastation.

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