Globalsecurity.org

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy introduced Evgeniy Khmara, the new Minister of Defence, to the Ministry of Defence team.

As the deadliest Ebola outbreak in DR Congo's history continued spreading on Friday, UN responders renewed their urgent appeal for immediate international support, with existing funding for lifesaving work critically low.

Russia is set to begin production of floating firing points to guard St. Petersburg from Ukraine's marine and aerial drones, Leningrad's regional governor said on August 18.

Sergei Rasokhin says he spent two years in hiding before finally escaping military service in Russia and recently making it to safety in Armenia.

The U.S. Department of State has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Republic of Korea for AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II tactical missiles and related equipment. The estimated total cost is $125 million.

US President Donald Trump said on August 21 that he did not think Iran was ready to make the "right deal" to end the conflict, adding that Washington was watching "what happens" next.

Offers of Iranian crude to Chinese buyers have fallen and prices have risen sharply as a US blockade restricts Tehran's oil exports, according to traders and ship-tracking data, Reuters reports.

An oil tanker under US sanctions for allegedly transporting Iranian petroleum products has been seized off Yemen and diverted toward Somalia, the latest sign of a resurgence in Somali piracy.

In an implicit warning about Iran's economic conditions, the country's parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, has said "no matter how much military power we have, if the people are hungry and we do not have financial activity, economic growth, and domestic production, we cannot survive."

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained at low levels on August 20, with just seven commodity vessels transiting the key energy route, according to data from the ship-tracking firm Kpler.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's latest remarks that Washington will impose "the toughest sanctions in history" on Iran while urging China to cooperate reflect an attempt to shift responsibility for the prolonged Iran war and the failure of US pressure tactics. By trying to drag China into the discussion, Washington is essentially resorting to the ploy of "making others take medicine for one's own illness." This amounts to the US' making excuses for its own erroneous policy toward Iran, said Chinese experts.

The Treasury Secretary warns any remaining economic relationship with Tehran will "hasten a nation's economic oblivion."

Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army, Major General Amir Hatami, says Iranian defense capability changed the enemies' calculations.

Iran's navy commander emphasized that the Armed Forces are standing firm against enemies with full strength and will not allow them to take even a single step forward.

Iran's acting defense minister says that the country's defense power is aimed at preventing war and aggression and that Iran will never allow any military aggression against its territory, independence, and national security.

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Ali Abdollahi has warned that any "miscalculation" from adversaries would be met with "revolutionary, crushing, regret-inducing, and devastating responses."

China opposes illegal unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and are not authorized by the UN Security Council, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday, calling on relevant parties to act responsibly and seek a solution through political and diplomatic means.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian has offered China's opposition to illegal unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and are not authorized by the UN Security Council.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that US sanctions against Iran had repeatedly failed, recalling threats made by former US President Barack Obama.

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