Aryna Sabalenka addresses Ukrainian opponent’s decision to skip handshake after Australian Open semifinal
Top-ranked women’s tennis player Aryna Sabalenka said she respected her opponent’s decision not to shake hands after their semifinal match at the Australian Open Thursday, a decision she says most Ukrainian players have been making “for so long.”
Sabalenka, who is Belarusian but is only permitted to play under a neutral flag at Grand Slams since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, defeated Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-2, 6-3.
Before the conclusion of the match, a message on the big screen from Australian Open organizers informed the crowd that the pair would not be shaking hands at the net after the match.
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“At the conclusion of the match, there will be no handshake between the players. We appreciate your respect for both athletes during and following the match.”
After the match, Sabalenka was asked directly about Svitolina’s decision.
“I’m not focusing on that, and they’ve been doing it for so long. It’s their decision, and I respect that. And I have time right now to respect her and [in the] on-court interview.
“I think that she knows I respect her as a player, I know she respects me as a player. That’s all I care [about.] But no handshake, it’s their decision. I respect that.”
NOVAK DJOKOVIC CALLS REPORTER’S QUESTION ‘DISRESPECTFUL’ AFTER AUSTRALIAN OPEN QUARTERFINAL MATCH
Svitolina spoke highly of Sabalenka’s performance during their semifinal matchup. She was not asked directly about the handshake but did say she chooses to remain optimistic despite such a crushing defeat because of the circumstances in her home country.
“I feel like I should not be allowed to really be sad. I have a great position. Firstly, not just as a personal perspective, I have this amazing opportunity to play in the center court here, represent my country, to do it in a decent way, to have an opportunity to use my voice and just be there for my people.
“When I wake up in the morning, I see, of course, terrifying news. But then I see people watching my matches. They write comments, and they’re really – I think it’s a big exchange of positive emotions so I can not complain. The people are really living a horrible and terrifying life in Ukraine, so I should not be allowed to really be sad because I am a very, very lucky person.”
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With her victory on Thursday, Sabalenka set up a rematch of her 2023 final against Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka became the third woman in the Open era to reach four consecutive singles finals at the Australian Open.
Iran to hold live-fire drills in Strait of Hormuz with US armada in Middle East
Iran will conduct live-fire military drills next week in the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump announced a U.S. armada was on its way to the region amid escalating tensions with Tehran.
The exercises will be carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ naval forces, Iranian state media reported Thursday.
The announcement came one day after Trump said a large naval force, led by the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, was heading toward Iran.
In a statement posted to Truth Social, the president warned Tehran to quickly return to negotiations over its nuclear program, saying the fleet was prepared to act with “speed and violence” if necessary.
US OPENS NEW AIR DEFENSE OPERATIONS CELL AT QATAR BASE THAT IRAN TARGETED IN RETALIATORY ATTACK
“Time is running out, it is truly of the essence! As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran,” he wrote. “The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again.”
The U.S. struck Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites in June using B-2 bombers and Tomahawk missiles.
The bombers flew for 37 hours non-stop from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to drop 12 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators on Fordow and two on Natanz.
TOP IRANIAN GENERAL THREATENS TO ‘CUT OFF’ TRUMP’S HAND OVER POTENTIAL MILITARY STRIKES
More than two dozen cruise missiles were also launched at Isfahan from a U.S. submarine.
Trump is weighing military action against Tehran, as U.S. assets move into the region amid international scrutiny over a crackdown by the Islamic regime that has killed thousands of anti-government protesters.
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Iran warned last week that it would respond “with everything we have” to any new U.S. military attack, accusing Washington and its allies of exploiting recent unrest to push the region toward a wider war.
“As Iranians grieve their loved ones and rebuild what has been destroyed, another threat looms: the final failure of diplomacy. Unlike the restraint Iran showed in June 2025, our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack,” Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said,.
Trump says Putin agreed to halt Kyiv strikes for one week amid brutal cold
President Donald Trump said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to not open fire on Kyiv, Ukraine, for one week due to the freezing weather rocking the region.
“I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week during this,” Trump said. “It’s extraordinary cold, record-setting cold. Over there too, they’re having the same conditions. It’s a big it’s a big pile of bad weather. The worst. But it was, it really they said, they’ve never experienced cold like that.”
The president held his first Cabinet meeting of 2026 Thursday, where he welcomed special envoy Steve Witkoff to the table to provide updates on his negotiations with Russia to end the war on Ukraine.
Trump continued that he’s happy he made the call to Putin despite warnings to not “waste” a call to the Russian leader.
RUSSIA, UKRAINE TO DISCUSS TERRITORY AS TRUMP SAYS BOTH SIDES ‘WANT TO MAKE A DEAL’
“I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and the various towns for a week, and he agreed to do that,” Trump said. “And I have to tell you, I was very nice. A lot of people said, don’t waste that call. You’re not going to get that. And he did it. And we’re very happy that they did it.”
Trump added that the agreement was a “very good thing.”
Russian strikes in Kyiv, Ukraine, have hobbled the city’s energy infrastructure in recent weeks, with Reuters reporting Monday that more than 1,300 apartment buildings in Ukraine’s capital have been without heat in the chilling temperatures. The strikes also have left much of the population without electricity and running water.
Witkoff said Thursday during the Cabinet meeting that negotiations have moved along productively and that the people of Ukraine are “hopeful and expecting that we’re going to deliver a peace deal sometime soon.”
Witkoff and fellow administration envoy Jared Kushner joined trilateral peace talks earlier in January with Ukraine and Russia as the nations inch toward a hopeful peace deal.
WITKOFF AND KUSHNER SCHEDULED TO MEET PUTIN IN MOSCOW
“We had five Russian generals last Sunday in Abu Dhabi with Jared and I and Dan Driscoll. We think we made a lot of progress,” Witkoff said. “The talks will continue in about a week, but lots of good things happening. … We have a security protocol agreement that’s largely finished. A prosperity agreement that’s largely, largely finished.”
ZELENSKYY HOLDING UP RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE PROCESS, TRUMP SAYS
A monthly chart of the weather in Kyiv, Ukraine, shows it has been brutally cold similar to temperatures rocking many parts of the U.S., as winter storm Fern careened across much of the United States Saturday and Sunday. The month of January in Kyiv, Ukraine, shows the highest temperature reaching 34° Fahrenheit and the lowest hitting -5° Fahrenheit, according to weather data.
The war in Ukraine has raged since the Biden administration as Russia looks to take hold of the nation and expand its footprint in Europe. The war will notch its four-year anniversary Feb. 24.
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Trump campaigned in part on ending the war in Ukraine, arguing it never would have unfolded if he had been re-elected during the 2020 campaign cycle.
The president has noted that the war in Ukraine has been more difficult to solve than he anticipated, while touting he has ended eight other wars since he was sworn back into the Oval Office just more than one year ago.
State Department demands Iran halt execution of 19-year-old wrestling star as IOC remains silent
Iran is seeking to execute a decorated Iranian wrestler for merely peacefully protesting against the regime in early January, prompting the U.S. State Department on Wednesday to demand that Tehran overturn the death penalty for 19-year-old Saleh Mohammadi.
Wrestling is a national pastime in Iran and a sport liked by President Donald Trump, who sought to save the life of champion Iranian Greco-Roman wrestler Navid Afkari in 2020. The clerical regime in Iran executed Afkari for his 2018 role in a demonstration against the economic and political corruption of the theocratic state.
According to the official X account for the State Department in Farsi, a post on Wednesday read: “The United States is deeply concerned by reports that 19-year-old wrestling champion Saleh Mohammadi is facing imminent execution. The regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran is massacring young people and destroying Iran’s future. We call on the Iranian regime to halt the execution of Saleh Mohammadi and all those sentenced to death for exercising their fundamental rights. #SalehMohammadi #StopExecutionsInIran #HumanRights #IranProtest.”
The State Department action comes as activists are calling on the International Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling to intervene with regime authorities on his behalf, as well as other persecuted wrestlers in the country.
The Iranian American, Sardar Pashaei, who won a Greco-Roman wrestling world championship title for Iran and coached the country’s elite Greco-Roman team, told Fox News Digital, “In less than 10 days, the Iranian regime shot dead more than 30 athletes across the country. The youngest was just 15 years old. The victims included youth athletes, national champions, coaches and international referees. Every one of them was killed by gunfire.”
IRAN ACCUSED OF SEX ASSAULTS ON TEENAGE PRISONERS, WHILE FAMILIES CHARGED TO RECOVER REMAINS OF LOVED ONES
He added that his organization, Hiwa, “has documented only confirmed cases. Many more athletes remain missing, imprisoned, or at risk of torture and execution, while families across Iran continue searching for loved ones with no answers or justice.” He praised the State Department’s actions in publicly calling for Saleh Mohammadi’s release.
FORMER IRANIAN PRISONERS REVEAL TORTURE HORRORS AS REGIME KILLS PROTESTERS ON SIGHT DURING CRACKDOWN
Pashaei continued, “A regime that jails, tortures and murders its own athletes has no place in the international sporting community. Sport must never be used to whitewash blood. Hiwa is preparing an official letter demanding that the International Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling suspend and ban Iran from all international competitions.”
Security forces for the Islamic Republic seized Olympic wrestler Alireza Nejati, who has won medals in world championships, after he posted a social media message to his more than 78,000 Instagram followers. The regime imprisoned Nejati and reportedly tortured him.
“I wish everyone a beautiful weekend full of success and good vibes,” the 27-year-old Greco-Roman wrestling champion wrote on Jan. 7. He concluded his message with, “This is the end.”
Fox News Digital sent email press queries and conducted telephone calls to the UWW and IOC regarding statements.
IRAN TO EXECUTE 2ND WRESTLER, SPARKING OUTRAGE FROM US STATE DEPARTMENT
Foreign Desk editor-in-chief, Lisa Daftari, who is a leading expert on Iran, told Fox News Digital, “Saleh Mohammadi is a 19‑year‑old athlete whose only ‘crime’ was to stand with his people, yet he now faces an imminent death sentence designed to make an example out of him and terrify an entire nation. His imminent execution would not be justice, it would be a warning shot at every young Iranian who dares dream of freedom — and the world’s response will show protesters whether they are truly alone or not.”
She added, “By threatening to kill its youth — its athletes, artists, musicians and brightest minds — the regime is making clear that it does not see the Iranian people as its future, but as a threat to be silenced.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. State Department for a comment.
Iran responds to Trump pressure with warning of retaliation: ‘Fingers on the trigger’
As President Donald Trump pressures Iran to strike a nuclear deal, the Islamic Republic’s foreign minister warned that the nation’s military is ready to retaliate against any possible “aggression.”
“Our brave Armed Forces are prepared — with their fingers on the trigger — to immediately and powerfully respond to ANY aggression against our beloved land, air, and sea. The valuable lessons learned from the 12-Day War have enabled us to respond even more strongly, rapidly, and profoundly,” Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned in a Wednesday post on X.
He claimed that Iran is open to a deal and has never attempted to obtain nuclear weapons.
TRUMP PRESSURES IRAN TO ‘COME TO THE TABLE’ AS ‘MASSIVE’ US ARMADA DRAWS NEAR
“At the same time, Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable NUCLEAR DEAL — on equal footing, and free from coercion, threats, and intimidation — which ensures Iran’s rights to PEACEFUL nuclear technology, and guarantees NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS. Such weapons have no place in our security calculations, and we have NEVER sought to acquire them,” Araghchi alleged.
In a Wednesday Truth Social post, Trump warned Iran that “time is running out” as U.S. warships move to the Middle East.
GULF SHIPPING OPERATIONS GRIND TO HALT NEAR IRAN; US QUIETLY PREPARES FOR POSSIBLE STRIKE: ‘HEIGHTENED RISK’
“A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. Hopefully, Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!” the president warned.
“As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations responded in a post on X.
TRUMP THREATENS TO END IRAQ SUPPORT OVER AL-MALIKI COMEBACK BID TIED TO IRAN INFLUENCE
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“Last time the U.S. blundered into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it squandered over $7 trillion and lost more than 7,000 American lives. Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests — BUT IF PUSHED, IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!” the mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the UN asserted in the post.
Federal judge gives man 15 years for Iran-backed assassination plot on US soil
A federal judge sentenced a would-be assassin to the maximum 15 years in prison for plotting to kill an Iranian American journalist in New York on behalf of Iran’s government.
U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman said the defendant, Carlisle Rivera, caused “great harm” to American journalist and human rights activist Masih Alinejad and her husband, calling the messages Rivera exchanged while planning the 2024 Brooklyn attack “chilling.”
Alinejad told the court the repeated assassination attempts against her were not just personal threats, but attacks on Americans and U.S. sovereignty.
“I’m just a woman,” she said. “My weapon is my voice. My weapon is my social media.”
IRAN WILL RETALIATE ‘WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE’ IF US ATTACKS, SENIOR DIPLOMAT WARNS
She urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence to deter future plots “targeting U.S. citizens on U.S. soil.”
Before sentencing, Rivera, 51, apologized, telling the judge, “I’m deeply sorry for my actions.”
In a brief courtroom moment, Rivera’s fiancée approached Alinejad during a recess, sobbing and apologizing. Alinejad later said she told the woman she was fighting not only for herself, but “for all Americans.”
SECRET SERVICE AWARE AFTER IRANIAN STATE TV AIRS TRUMP THREAT FEATURING PHOTO OF BUTLER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
Outside the Manhattan courthouse, Alinejad warned that the violence used to silence dissidents in Iran must not be allowed to spread to the United States. Holding a tablet showing images of Iranians killed during protests, she said Americans should not ignore the regime’s reach.
She also called on President Donald Trump to take stronger action against Iran’s leadership, comparing the regime to Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, who was captured in a U.S. military operation earlier this year and brought to New York on drug trafficking charges.
“Removing terrorists is not tragedy. It’s a sign of justice,” Alinejad said, adding she does not support bombing Iran but wants its leaders removed.
She noted that U.S. authorities have said Iran’s Revolutionary Guard was behind multiple plots to kill her, as well as a separate plot targeting Trump. Tehran has denied the allegations.
Alinejad fled Iran in 2009 after the country’s disputed presidential election and became a U.S. citizen in 2019. She rose to prominence through campaigns encouraging Iranian women to defy the regime’s mandatory headscarf law and has since become a global advocate for women’s rights.
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Last year, two men were convicted and sentenced to 25 years for plotting to kidnap and kill her in 2022. Prosecutors said Iran placed a $500,000 bounty on her head.
Trump threatens to end Iraq support over al-Maliki comeback bid tied to Iran influence
President Donald Trump appealed to Iraqis on Tuesday to not reinstate the controversial former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to a new term because of his alleged corruption and severe mismanagement of the country’s economy and security situation.
Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform: “I’m hearing that the Great Country of Iraq might make a very bad choice by reinstalling Nouri al-Maliki as Prime Minister. Last time Maliki was in power, the Country descended into poverty and total chaos. That should not be allowed to happen again. Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq and, if we are not there to help, Iraq has ZERO chance of Success, Prosperity, or Freedom. MAKE IRAQ GREAT AGAIN!”
A parliamentary session was slated for Tuesday to elect a president, who would then appoint the prime minister. The meeting was canceled because of a lack of a quorum.
IRAQI STATE BANK ACCUSED OF PROCESSING PAYMENTS FOR HOUTHI TERRORISTS WHO DISRUPT RED SEA COMMERCE
Al-Maliki fired back at Trump on Wednesday, stating, “We reject the blatant American interference in Iraq’s internal affairs and consider it a violation of its sovereignty.”
The Trump administration vehemently opposes al-Maliki attempts to secure a third term because of his close ties to the Islamic Republic of Iran — a state-sponsor of terrorism, according to the U.S. State Department.
Al-Maliki’s previous premiership (2006 to 2014) was plagued by sectarian violence, including his reported failure to form an inclusive government that did not discriminate against Iraqi Kurds and Sunni Muslims in favor of Shiite Muslims.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told caretaker Prime Minister al-Sudani on Sunday that the U.S. was concerned about a pro-Iran government seizing control of the Iraqi state.
“The Secretary emphasized that a government controlled by Iran cannot successfully put Iraq’s own interests first, keep Iraq out of regional conflicts, or advance the mutually beneficial partnership between the United States and Iraq,” said U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
MYSTERY SURROUNDS VISIT TO DC OF IRAN-BACKED IRAQI JUDGE WHO ISSUED WARRANT FOR TRUMP’S ARREST
Al-Maliki ended his second term in 2014 after the Obama administration’s growing frustration with his security blind spots that saw the rise of the Islamic State in the same year across a large swathe of Iraqi and Syrian territory.
Al-Sudani secured the most seats in November’s parliamentary elections but withdrew his candidacy this month. The 75-year-old al-Maliki, from the Shiite Islamist Dawa Party, tossed his hat in the political ring and won the support of the Coordination Framework, a collection of Shia parties that is the largest parliamentary bloc.
Entifadh Qanbar, a former spokesman for the deputy prime minister of Iraq, told Fox News Digital that “Iran has exercised tremendous influence over Iraq. Ayatollah Khamenei personally ‘blessed’ Nouri al-Maliki’s nomination. Even if Maliki is ultimately dropped, Iran will simply nominate another candidate who is secretly acceptable to Washington. That individual may even be given leeway to say the right things publicly in order to appease the U.S., while remaining fully aligned with Tehran behind the scenes.”
Qanbar, who worked as a civil engineer in Iraq, added, “As for the Iraqi elections, the process itself has been systematically engineered to ensure that Iran’s proxies win without meaningful resistance. These elections are not contests between Iranian-backed factions and genuine alternatives; rather, they are mechanisms to divide votes among groups already approved by Iran. Any real dissent has been banned, imprisoned, or eliminated.”
He noted that “I have often used the analogy that Iraqi elections resemble a soccer match with only one goal, no goalkeeper and only one team allowed on the field,” and warned, “the United States fails to see these structural manipulations.”
An Iraqi Kurdish official also echoed the view that Iran has gained greater control of Iraqi power politics. The official told Fox News Digital that, “Under Sudani’s government, Iran’s proxies have doubled on the state payroll and receive over $3 billion a year. He established the Muhandes company — the PMF’s investment wing, securing public contracts and buying weapons.”
The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) is an umbrella organization of Shiite militias loyal to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The PMF wields enormous power in Iraq.
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The Iraqi Kurdish official said, “Economically, Iran’s oil blending in Basra has been formalized with official state support. Financially, Iraq’s state and private banks have funneled billions in U.S. dollar bills into Iran under Sudani, bringing Tehran critical relief against U.S. sanctions.”
The official added, “Iran, of course, has always been ahead of the curve in Iraq. When the pro-Western candidate Ayad Allawi beat Maliki in the 2010 elections, it was the Americans who handed Maliki a second term — an odd moment of alignment with Iran against their own preferred outcome.” He said he hopes the U.S. won’t make the same mistake again.
Gulf shipping operations grind to halt near Iran; US quietly prepares for possible strike: ‘Heightened risk’
Shipping in the Persian Gulf dipped sharply Wednesday as tensions with Iran intensified amid signs the U.S. was positioning military forces for a potential strike, according to maritime intelligence assessments.
The U.S. Navy’s USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group entered the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Monday, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News Digital, as President Donald Trump continued to keep military options on the table.
“At this stage, it remains ambiguous, and probably intentionally ambiguous, what the objectives and desired outcomes are of any U.S. military action,” Ambrey Intelligence’s Robert Peters told Fox News Digital.
“This means that there are a wider range of possibilities and retaliatory scenarios under consideration.
TRUMP ANNOUNCES ‘FINAL’ 25% TARIFF ON COUNTRIES DOING BUSINESS WITH IRAN REGIME
“That said, there are five U.S.-flagged merchant vessels, tankers and cargo ships in the Gulf today — two transited the Strait of Hormuz earlier without any apparent issues — but those already in the Gulf and destined for the U.S. are at heightened risk,” he added.
Trump, who earlier this week indicated “numerous” calls were received from Iran, also posted about the situation on Truth Social Wednesday morning.
“A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela,” he wrote.
IRAN POSES A FAR MORE DANGEROUS MILITARY TEST FOR THE US THAN VENEZUELA, EXPERTS WARN
“Like with Venezuela, it is ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence! As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL!”
The post came as the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported the death toll from nationwide protests in Iran has surpassed 6,200 since the outset Dec. 28.
The organization said nearly 17,100 more were under investigation with “a continuation of both scattered and mass arrests” as internet restrictions continue.
TRUMP THREATENS IRAN WITH CRUSHING RESPONSE AS TEHRAN DENIES HALTING PROTEST EXECUTIONS
Peters meanwhile, claimed that “shipping companies have been advised to reduce aggregate risk when operating in the Arabian/Persian Gulf.
“This means limiting the number of ships that could be exposed to retaliatory action, and sometimes ships will await further instructions closer to their next port in the Gulf,” he said. “At this point, it is more appropriate to wait further away in case of an escalation.”
Ali Shamkhani, an advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, warned Wednesday that any military action by the U.S. from any origin and at any level “will be regarded as the start of a war, and the response will be immediate, all-out, and unprecedented, targeting the heart of Tel Aviv and all those who support the aggressor,” according to Iran International.
IRAN STRIKES COULD SIGNAL LIMITS OF BEIJING, MOSCOW’S POWER AS US FLEXES STRENGTH
“Our brave Armed Forces are prepared — with their fingers on the trigger — to immediately and powerfully respond to ANY aggression against our beloved land, air, and sea,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X.
With tensions rising in the region, Peters described how shipowners may be approached by cargo charterers to load cargo in the Gulf.
“Then they will make the decision to avoid the Gulf for the time being until the tensions reduce,” Peters added. “Interestingly, last year the Iranians did not take retaliatory action in the maritime sphere. Israeli shipping was already avoiding the Gulf, and the U.S. military action was highly targeted at the nuclear capabilities.”
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But Peters warned that the situation “may see something similar again. If there is a much broader, regime-destabilizing operation, the effects could be considerable for wider shipping.
“During periods like this, we tend to see greater risk aversion and inquiries from those asked to pick up cargo for U.S. charterers and destined for the U.S.,” he added.