Storm Pedro to bring snow and more heavy rain to UK

A new weather system, named Storm Pedro by forecasters, is set to bring snow and heavy rain to the UK this week.

The latest naming comes from Meteo France, the French national weather service, which predicts the storm will have a drastic effect.

On this side of the Channel, however, the impact of Storm Pedro is likely to be relatively minor, with snow mainly confined to the hills.

Yellow weather warnings are in place for Wednesday and Thursday across parts of the country, predicting bouts of snow, rain and ice.

The Met Office said: “There is the potential for an area of rain and snow to affect parts of Wales, central England and into the southern Pennines during Wednesday evening and overnight into Thursday.”

Some ice is also likely to develop on untreated surfaces across parts of Wales and western England.

The areas where rain, sleet and snow is forecasted will gradually clear to the east during Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning, and temperatures will fall close to, or a little below, freezing,

The Met Office has also issued a rain and snow warning for Northern Ireland from 4am Wednesday until 8pm Wednesday. Outbreaks of rain, hill snow and strong winds may bring some disruption to travel, the forecasters warn.

There is a slight chance of the weather causing travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel. There is also a small chance of rural communities experiencing power cuts or outages to phone services.

The Met Office said: “An area of rain, falling as snow over some high ground, will move slowly east across much of Northern Ireland during Wednesday, before tending to ease later in the day. This will be accompanied by strong southeasterly winds which may gust 45-55mph in places, particularly during the morning. Rainfall totals of 10-15mm are predicted fairly widely, with 20-30mm in some southern and western areas.”

The snow will mainly accumulate on higher ground above 250m, mainly over the Sperrins during the morning, with little if any lying snow.

There will be some spells of heavy rain affecting southern parts of England during Wednesday and overnight into Thursday, while some snow is also likely over higher ground, mainly during Wednesday night.

This will be accompanied by strong, east to northeasterly winds, which could exacerbate the impact in places. Large waves could affect some east-facing coasts, particularly along the English channel.

The Met Office has advised residents to prepare flood kits filled with torches, batteries, mobile phone power packs and other essential items.

Despite a period of rain and gloomy weather, the temperatures are expected to pick up again towards the weekend, reaching highs of 14C in Exeter on Saturday, according to Met Office.

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Farage slammed for claim white men are losing jobs due to Equality Act

Nigel Farage has been accused of “playing into short-sighted, divisive politics” after making unproven claims that middle-class, white men are losing jobs because of the Equality Act.

His claim came just a day after Suella Braverman, Reform UK’s new equality and education chief, promised to scrap the act on day one if her party won the next election, claiming that Britain is being “ripped apart by diversity, equality and inclusion” policies.

The Equality Act 2010 – which replaced previous anti-discrimination laws – legally protects people with protected characteristics, including: age, disability, gender reassignment, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation, from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society.

But the Reform leader claims those protections are to the detriment of white men.

Asked on Wednesday whether he could guarantee nobody would lose a job because of their sex, ethnicity or disability under his party’s plans to scrap the Equality Act, Mr Farage said: “Well, people are losing their jobs now, particularly if they are white, and male and middle-aged.

“And that’s the problem, that actually something that was designed to stop discrimination becomes in itself discriminatory. The protections you’re talking about were in law way before the 2010 Equalities Act.”

However, official figures from July to September 2025 appear to show that the opposite is true, with people from white ethnic backgrounds having lower rates of unemployment in the UK than those from minority ethnic backgrounds.

In this period, the UK unemployment rate for people from a white ethnic background was 4.3 per cent, an increase of 0.7 percentage points from the same period the previous year. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for people from minority ethnic backgrounds was 8.8 per cent, an increase of 0.6 percentage points from the same period the previous year.

And according to the 2021 census for England and Wales, people from White Irish and White British ethnic backgrounds had the lowest unemployment rates at 4.7 and 4.9 per cent respectively. People from Arab and Other Black ethnic backgrounds had the highest unemployment rates, at 14.3 per cent and 14.2 per cent, respectively.

Responding to Mr Farage’s remarks, Dr Shabna Begum, CEO of leading anti-racism charity the Runnymede Trust, accused him of “playing into short-sighted, divisive politics that does nothing to help anyone and instead breeds the politics of grievance and resentment”.

Dr Begum also took aim at Ms Braverman’s claim that the country is being “ripped apart by diversity, equality and inclusion” policies, dubbing it “inflammatory, divisive and quite frankly dishonest”.

She told The Independent: “At a time when racial and religiously motivated hate crimes and violence against women and girls are all steeply rising, it would be irresponsible to remove the few protections in place for those at risk.”

Meanwhile, Paul Nowak, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), accused Mr Farage of “peddling made-up nonsense”.

“The Equality Act protects everyone at work – including white, middle-aged men – whether from age discrimination, religious discrimination or other unfair treatment”, he said.

“Let’s be clear about what’s really going on here. Reform wants to legalise discrimination and rip up hard-won workplace rights. That isn’t standing up for working people – it’s leaving people at the mercy of bad bosses. It’s a bully’s charter.”

James Douglas, legal director at the Good Law Project, accused Mr Farage of being “detached from both the law and reality”, telling The Independent: “Scrapping the Equality Act wouldn’t just take us back to 2010, it would reverse all the progress we’ve made since the 1970s.”

“Scare stories about white, middle-aged men losing their jobs don’t hide the fact that by opposing it, Reform have made clear that they don’t believe in equality,” he added.

And Christine Jardine, Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, who sits on the women and equalities committee, warned Mr Farage that “rights are not finite”.

She said: “Protecting people who might be vulnerable because of their sex, ethnicity, or disability does not undermine anyone else’s rights.

“It simply creates a level playing field for all of us. Should we always be aware of how we can improve those protections in the act? Yes, but that’s very different from what Reform is suggesting.”

Mr Farage’s latest comments came after Ms Braverman, who was newly appointed as Reform’s head of education, skills and equalities, asked: “Why does no one in this government seem to care that it’s white working-class boys who have the worst educational outcomes in our country today?”

She added: “Do you know what a Reform government will do? Well, on day one, we will get rid of the equalities department; we will scrap the equalities minister.

“And we will repeal the Equality Act, because we are going to work to build a country defined by meritocracy, not tokenism, personal responsibility, not victimhood, excellence, not mediocrity, and unity, not division.”

The MP for Fareham and Waterlooville also attacked the rights of transgender young people, saying that “social and gender transitioning will be banned in all schools, no ifs, no buts” if Reform comes to power.

She promised to “bring an end to the transgender chaos in schools”, claiming that children are “taught more about gender ideology than biological fact”.

Reform UK has been contacted for comment.

Arsenal drop points in title race after Tom Edozie’s late equaliser

Debutant Tom Edozie scored a dramatic last-gasp equaliser as Wolves came from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw with Arsenal and plunge the Gunners’ Premier League title hopes into further doubt.

Following their draw with Brentford, the Gunners were unable to cling on to three points in wintry conditions over Rob Edwards’s battling side who claimed another point in their unlikely survival bid.

Bukayo Saka celebrated his new five-year deal with the club in style with his fifth goal of the season as Mikel Arteta’s choice to play him in the number-10 role immediately paid dividends as he gave Arsenal an early lead.

It looked like three points were heading back to north London when Piero Hincapie doubled the league leaders’ advantage with his first goal for the club, but Huge Bueno produced a moment of magic to reduce the deficit.

Wolves though had the final say as Edozie’s effort from the edge of the box deflected off Riccardo Calafiori beyond David Raya.

The draw leaves Arsenal five points ahead of Manchester City having played a game more.

The league leaders barely had to lift a finger before they went ahead, a period of sustained pressure ended with Declan Rice putting a ball onto the head of Saka who nodded between the legs of Jose Sa from six yards.

Arsenal were rampant in the early stages, Sa produced a double save as he batted Noni Madueke’s initial effort into the path of Gabriel Martinelli who was unable to poke past the Portuguese goalkeeper.

Madueke could have had his second headed goal in the space of a week but was unable to guide Martinelli’s cross on target.

Wolves were happy to let Arsenal have the ball for much of the half and it took until first half stoppage time for them to register their first shot as Andre dragged a speculative effort wide across goal.

The hosts visibly grew in confidence at the start of the second period, Adam Armstrong almost opened his Wolves account in style with a 20-yard strike which marginally flew over the crossbar.

Arsenal weathered a small Wolves storm and doubled their advantage with their first attack of the half, Gabriel slipped through to Hincapie, who made no mistake.

The Ecuadorian went off to celebrate in the corner before the linesman lifted a late offside flag but VAR showed Hincapie was onside and the goal stood.

Wolves cut the deficit in half five minutes later when Bueno lined one up outside the box and curled a stunner past Raya’s despairing dive to give the basement side hope.

Wolves pressed for an equaliser and got their rewards in stoppage time which lifted the roof off Molineux courtesy of 84th-minute substitute Edozie.

A cross put into the box was flapped at by Raya and allowed Edozie to blast an effort on goal which bounced off Calafiori and into the back of the net.

Hundreds of people died in their homes during freezing temperatures in UK last year

Hundreds of people died in their homes during freezing temperatures last year, laying bare the “awful reality” facing many pensioners living in cold and damp homes, campaigners have warned.

Figures published for the first time by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed that 2,500 deaths were linked to cold weather last winter, with the most deaths occurring in those over 85, and linked to a six-day cold snap in January 2025.

Of those who died, 864 died in their own homes, with UKHSA experts suggesting factors including home insulation and lack of heating, access to healthcare, and awareness of cold weather, may have driven cold-related deaths.

The number of deaths comes as the UK is gripped by cold weather, with fresh weather warnings that Storm Pedro could bring snow, ice and heavy rain over the next few days.

Simon Francis, coordinator of the campaign group, End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said the data on cold weather deaths last year “lays bare the awful reality that far too many pensioners are still trapped in cold, damp homes that put their health and lives at risk”.

He said: “Volatile gas prices, poor quality housing and a lack of adequate support have all contributed to this crisis. And in 2024/25 the situation was made worse by decisions to remove winter fuel payments from many pensioners.”

In May 2025, the government was forced to U-turn on plans to strip 10 million pensioners of poverty fuel payments – a £300 payment to help with energy costs in the colder months – after backlash over its plans to remove them from anyone but those receiving pension credits or other means-tested benefits.

Mr Francis said: “We warned this would leave vulnerable older people exposed, and these figures show the deadly consequences of failing to protect those most at risk.”

End Fuel Poverty Coalition has urged ministers to treat fuel poverty as a “public emergency” and said health secretary Wes Streeting must now also prioritise the fight to tackle cold homes.

The new data is the first linking deaths to cold weather published by UKHSA, which has previously published reports on hot weather-related fatalities.

The report examines three cold episodes – the first a two-day cold snap on 20-21 November 2024; the second two days on 2-3 January 2025, and the third lasted six days from 7-12 January 2025. During this final cold snap, there was an amber cold health alert in place across the whole of England, warning that the weather is “likely” to cause significant impacts across health and social care services, including a “rise in deaths” among those with health conditions or aged 65 or over.

During these three periods, there were an estimated 2,544 cold-associated deaths, with 1,630 of these deaths linked to the six-day cold snap.

The report says that cold-associated deaths were seen in all regions except the North East.

It adds that circulatory diseases caused the highest number of cold-related deaths, with 834 deaths linked to conditions such as heart disease.

“Cold weather remains a serious and preventable risk to public health,” said Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA.

“The findings suggest that even short periods of cold can lead to significant increases in mortality, often days or weeks after the temperature drops.”

Experts also analysed cold deaths from the five-year period to 2024/25 and compared them to deaths linked to cold temperatures in 2013/4 to 2017/18.

During the earlier period studied, low temperatures were associated with a “less rapid” increase in mortality, the authors said.

They said this suggested that “vulnerability to cold weather episodes has increased,” adding: “This may indicate that the population had greater vulnerability to cold weather and its impacts in the more recent five-year period. It may also be affected by changes in influenza season severity.”

Newcastle on brink of Champions League last-16 after huge Qarabag win

Anthony Gordon plundered four goals as Newcastle took a stranglehold on their Champions League play-off against Qarabag with a rampant 6-1 first leg victory in Baku.

The 24-year-old England international needed just three minutes to eclipse Alan Shearer’s club record of six goals in a single campaign and added three more before the break, two of them from the penalty spot, as the Magpies routed the champions of Azerbaijan in merciless style.

Indeed, had it not been for the efforts of goalkeeper Mateusz Kochalski, who made a string of fine saves during the first half but was also beaten by Malick Thiaw and Jacob Murphy, the scoreline at the Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium could have assumed even more epic proportions.

Eddie Howe’s men will welcome Qarabag to St James’ Park next Tuesday knowing they are all-but assured of a last-16 showdown with either Barcelona or Premier League rivals Chelsea.

They will do so having ended a difficult run of form with successive away wins over Tottenham, Aston Villa and the Azeris in different competitions with a league trip to Manchester City to come at the weekend.

Kochalski was picking the ball out of his net with less than three minutes gone when central defender Dan Burn surged upfield to pick out Gordon’s run and the striker shot right-footed across the keeper to get his side off to the perfect start.

Thiaw then made it 2-0 after eight minutes when he headed home Kieran Trippier’s cross.

Barnes and Gordon were both twice thwarted by the keeper in quick succession as the Magpies repeatedly cut the home defence to ribbons but he was powerless to prevent Gordon extending his side’s lead from the penalty spot 13 minutes before the break after Matheus Silva was adjudged to have blocked a Barnes shot with his arm following a VAR review.

The former Everton forward completed his hat-trick – the first of his senior career – within seconds when he capitalised on central defender Kevin Medina’s error to round Kochalski and score.

It was 5-0 in first-half stoppage time when, after the exposed keeper had brought down Gordon, the forward beat him from the spot for the second time to claim his fourth of the night.

Gordon and Trippier appeared to have a difference of opinion as they left the field at half-time but the pair returned in harmonious mood, although they saw their side’s lead reduced within nine minutes when Elvin Jafarguliyev squeezed a shot through Nick Pope.

Dangerman Joni Montiel forced Pope into an uncomfortable save and Trippier did just enough to deflect a Pedro Bicalho piledriver wide with the home side vastly improved, but substitute Murphy made it six with a 72nd-minute effort which went in off Jafarguliyev.

Kochalski made a stunning double save from Burn and substitute Will Osula at the death to spare Qarabag further punishment and 18-year-old Sean Neave very nearly marked his debut with a late strike, but the damage had already been done.

Traditions and tastes to savour: Hong Kong at Chinese new year

The air crackles and sparkles with pink, red, green and gold as fireworks stream through the inky skies. Crowds gather either side of Victoria Harbour, awestruck by a spectacle that outshines even Hong Kong’s iconic skyscrapers.

Held annually on the second day of Chinese New Year, this incredible display is just one highlight in a calendar of must-experience events that will herald the Year of the Horse this February. Daytimes are equally vivid; streets bloom with flower stalls and colourful paper lanterns, while the air is perfumed with incense, citrus fruits and crisp yau gok: fried dumplings believed to bring good fortune for the year ahead.

Hong Kong is at its brightest and boldest during Chinese New Year celebrations, with all its rich customs, cultural traditions and culinary delights on dazzling display. Here we explore the events and spectacles that usher in the Year of the Horse, offering a glimpse of what this diverse, compelling destination offers throughout the seasons.

There’s no danger of missing the celebrations. Stretching over 15 days, this is a party that barely pauses to take a breath (or snack on a rice ball). Festivities traditionally start with the Night Parade on the 17th of February in Tsim Sha Tsui, on the southern tip of the Kowloon peninsula. The area is famed for its skyline views across the harbour and this event, held on the first night of the new year, brings spectacle after breathtaking spectacle, with dancers and musicians starting the party in style before the floats parade past, each one more colourful and ornately decorated than the last.

Another highlight in this stellar line-up of events is the annual Raceday. Locals and visitors gather at Sha Tin Racecourse to try their luck and usher in good fortune with lion dances, where lavishly costumed performers shake and shimmy away evil spirits. It’s one of the biggest days in the racing calendar and new year celebrations, so the atmosphere – whether watching a nail-biting finish to races like the Chinese New Year Cup or seeing top musicians perform – is guaranteed to be electric.

Throughout the new year period – and beyond – moments of celebration and quiet reflection can be found all around the city. Flower markets fill the streets with vivid hues with the heady scents of chrysanthemums, orchids and peach blossom among the blooms believed to bring good luck. Victoria Park, a verdant bubble of calm in the midst of the urban bustle, hosts one of the biggest and most impressive markets, while petals and floral charms add pops of colour to every stretch and corner of Hong Kong.

The region is rich in cultural sites and monuments that can be enjoyed any time of year, but are enhanced during this time of vibrant celebration. The Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees in the Tai Po District, for example, draw visitors with the promise of making dreams come true via wishes, written on a piece of joss paper and hung on nearby wooden racks – while Chinese New Year festivities throw live music, food stalls and traditional dancing into the mix.

It’s a wonderful window onto the rich heritage of Lam Tsuen, an area made up of 26 traditional villages where ancient practices and customs are very much, and vividly so, alive. Nearby Tin Hau Temple, dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea, was built in 1865 by local fishermen. Today, worshippers and tourists alike visit the site in the busy Yau Ma Tei area, burning coils of incense or simply soaking up the bustling, scent-filled atmosphere.

Hong Kong’s temples draw even bigger crowds to partake in and witness rituals that are specific to the new year. At Wong Tai Sin, the first worshippers to burn incense are believed to be the most blessed for the year ahead. Man Mo, in the heart of the city, sees worshippers pray for good fortune and health in the tradition of An Tai Sui – a Taoist ritual practised by those whose birthdays conflict with the ruling zodiac sign of that year. While at Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin, kau chim or fortune sticks are drawn to predict the year ahead.

One core element threaded throughout all the celebrations is food. From tangerines believed to bring luck, to dumplings doled out by street vendors and impeccable chef-led menus served at the most coveted tables in town, Chinese New Year serves up a mouthwatering array of edible delights.

Traditional tastes here go deeper than mere deliciousness; they are firmly rooted in Hong Kong’s culture and history. Fish symbolises prosperity, while poon choi – a many-layered dish originating in the villages of the New Territories, where families would throw whatever food they had into one communal pot – perfectly showcases togetherness in every bite, with ingredients ranging from charred pork to oysters and bamboo shoots.

Tong yuen, squishy little rice flour balls filled with peanut, red bean paste or chocolate, offer a sweeter way to celebrate unity, and can be found everywhere from longstanding dessert shops to Hong Kong’s constellation of Michelin-starred restaurants.Making it even easier to negotiate Hong Kong’s rich and varied culinary scene, this year sees the launch of Taste Hong Kong, a curated guide with 250 restaurant recommendations from over 50 local master chefs and Chinese Culinary Institute graduates, organised by neighbourhood. It’s all about hou mei – the Cantonese expression for ‘delicious flavours’ – and the tastes and traditions worthy of celebration, at Chinese New Year and beyond.

For more travel inspiration and to plan your trip visit Discover Hong Kong

Major mobile provider lost nearly 400,000 customers thanks to price hikes

Virgin Media O2 has issued a warning regarding anticipated declines in sales and earnings for 2026, following significant customer attrition attributed to recent price increases.

The telecoms giant reported a net loss of 397,500 mobile subscribers last year, with a substantial 164,800 departing in the final quarter, primarily due to O2’s price adjustments.

Last October, the company announced a further monthly increase of £2.50 for its 15.6 million mobile customers, effective from spring 2026, revising an earlier proposed rise of £1.80.

Concurrently, Virgin Media O2 saw 138,400 broadband customers leave in 2025, including 16,700 in the last three months of the year.

The company’s annual results indicated a 0.4 per cent decline in underlying earnings for the year, reaching £3.9bn, following a more pronounced 2.4 per cent drop during the final three months.

When adjusted to exclude its recent transaction with business-to-business provider Daisy, the group reported a 0.9 per cent increase in earnings over the full year, though they still saw a 1.3 per cent decrease in the last quarter.

Looking ahead, Virgin Media O2 issued a caution regarding potentially steeper financial declines in the coming year, anticipating a continuation of what it described as “challenging market conditions”.

It is guiding towards a drop in underlying earnings of 3 per cent to 5 per cent, stripping out its takeover of Daisy, while underlying total service revenues are also expected to drop by 3 per cent to 5 per cent.

Virgin Media O2 and Daisy Group last year merged their business communications and IT operations to create a telecoms company with sales of about £1.4bn a year, called O2 Daisy.

Virgin Media O2 said the lower sales outlook “reflects heightened promotional intensity and ongoing uncertainty in the consumer fixed market, alongside the planned streamlining of the business-to-business product portfolio”.

It will look to make cost savings to offset the impact.

Lutz Schuler, chief executive of Virgin Media O2, said: “While we expect challenging market conditions to continue in 2026, we are well positioned to seize the right opportunities in each of our business areas – consumer, business-to-business and wholesale – and the foundations we’re putting in place today will help to build long-term customer trust and fuel future profitability and cash generation.”

Virgin Media O2 was formed in 2021 after the £31bn mega merger between Virgin Media, owned by Liberty Global, and O2, the network owned by Spanish rival Telefonica.

On Wednesday, Liberty Global, Telefonica and private equity firm InfraVia joined forces to buy British alternative fibre firm Substantial Group for £2bn.

The groups said the joint venture deal will strengthen its position competing against BT’s Openreach, the UK’s biggest fibre broadband firm and network operator.

Substantial, which runs fibre network Netomnia, is expected to have more than 3.4 million fibre premises and over 500,000 customers by the completion of the deal, the firms said.

Nexfibre – Liberty Global, Telefonica and InfraVia’s joint venture business – will take over Substantial in a deal which is set to expand it cover to eight million premises across the UK by the end of 2027.

However, rivals have already raised potential competition concerns over the move.

Simon Holden, chief executive officer of CityFibre, said: “There is an 80 per cent overlap between these two players and, if the deal goes ahead, it would significantly reduce competition and the choice available to consumers, as well as force hundreds of thousands of Netomnia customers back to Virgin Media O2.

“Given the scale of this overlap, the CMA must thoroughly examine the deal.

“Competition has driven lower prices, faster speeds and better services – and this deal risks re-establishing an ineffective duopoly of BT and VMO2 and undermining the significant progress the UK has made.”

Iran closes key Strait of Hormuz shipping route after ayatollah threatens to sink US warships

Iran temporarily shut part of the key Strait of Hormuz as tensions with the US continue to mount.

Tuesday’s move is the first time the Middle Eastern waterway has been closed since the 1980s, and came as Iran’s ayatollah issued fresh threats against the United States.

One of the world’s most strategically important routes, around 20 per cent of oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

State media announced it would be partially shut for several hours due to “security precautions” as the Revolutionary Guard carried out military drills.

Experts have previously warned that closing the Strait could cause a hike in oil prices if fuel is unable to get through.

International law permits countries to exercise control of up to 13.8 miles (12 nautical miles) from their coastline. At its narrowest point, the passage comes under both Iranian and Omani control.

The US and Iran held talks about a potential nuclear deal on Tuesday, with Tehran’s foreign minister announcing “guiding principals” had been agreed, without going into specifics.

Vice president JD Vance told Fox News: “In some ways, it went well; they agreed to meet afterwards. But in other ways, it was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through.”

Despite publicly committing to ongoing discussions on a deal, both sides have taken escalatory action in recent days.

The US positioned the world’s largest warship, the USS Gerald R Ford, in the Middle East to join an earlier aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, that had moved to the region last month.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded by threatening to sink the carriers.

“The US president keeps saying, ‘our military is the strongest military in the world’; the world’s most powerful military can sometimes receive such a slap that it can no longer stay on its feet,” he said on Tuesday. “They constantly say, ‘we have sent an aircraft carrier towards Iran’.

“OK, of course an aircraft carrier is a dangerous device, but more dangerous than the carrier is the weapon that can send it to the bottom of the sea.”

Earlier in the week, Iran carried out military drills in the Strait, with missiles launched inside Iran and along its coast striking targets in the waterway.

The exercises, which included test missiles, warships and helicopters, were displaying the “operational readiness” of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) and plans for reciprocal action in case of “potential security and military threats”.

On Wednesday, Iran and Russia announced joint navy drills in the Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean would be carried out on Thursday.

“Creating convergence and coordination in joint measures to counter activities threatening maritime security and safety (…) as well as combating maritime terrorism, are among the main goals of this joint exercise,” Iranian navy commander Hassan Maghsoodloo said according to Fars News.