Israel foreign minister condemns Iran violence during Baku talks

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group threatened new attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, as a US aircraft carrier moved toward the region amid rising tensions over Iran, AP reported on Monday.

The Houthis released a short video showing images of a burning ship with the caption “Soon,” without giving details. The group has attacked more than 100 vessels in the Red Sea in the past, saying the campaign was meant to pressure Israel over the war in Gaza. The attacks paused after a ceasefire, though the group has repeatedly warned it could resume them.

The threat comes as the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and accompanying destroyers head toward the Middle East.

Russia said on Monday that a possible US strike on Iran would seriously destabilize the Middle East and urged restraint from all sides, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“This would undoubtedly mark another step toward serious destabilization of the situation in the region,” Peskov said, referring to reports that Washington might consider military action against Iran.

“Russia continues its efforts to de-escalate tensions,” he added. “In this situation, we would like to see restraint from all parties involved as well as their focus exclusively on peaceful negotiations to address the issues they consider relevant,” he said.

Israeli media reported earlier that the US had been preparing to strike Iran during the past week and that preparations for the attack may be complete.

Russia has previously warned that any strike on Iran could destabilize the region and urged diplomacy to prevent escalation.

Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the arrival of foreign warships near Iran would not change Tehran’s defense posture or its approach to diplomacy, after reports that a US aircraft carrier had reached the Middle East.

“Our position is clear. We have never welcomed war, and we have never turned away from diplomacy and negotiations, and we have shown this in practice,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei said.

“The entry of foreign warships is not meant to affect Iran’s resolve and seriousness in defending the country,” he said, adding that Iran had “full will and capability to defend Iran with the backing of our people.”

Israel’s Channel 13 reported that the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East on Sunday evening and was operating near Iran. The report said a ship carrying missile defense systems was heading toward Israel and that a THAAD air defense battery was expected to arrive in the coming days.

Turkey has drawn up plans to create a buffer zone along its border with Iran in case of a new migration wave, Türkiye newspaper reported, citing a briefing by the Turkish Foreign Ministry to parliament’s foreign affairs committee.

According to the report, ministry officials told lawmakers Ankara had prepared multiple scenarios “for all eventualities,” including a buffer zone intended to keep any arrivals on the Iranian side of the border.

“We believe there should be a buffer zone to ensure that those who arrive in the event of a migration remain on the Iranian side,” the briefing said, as quoted by the newspaper.

The briefing also said Turkey opposes foreign intervention in regional countries and does not want further instability in the region, the report added.

The outlet reported that the assets include luxury properties across several European countries, ranging from a golf resort in Mallorca to a ski hotel in Austria.

The holdings were structured through a complex network of offshore companies registered in jurisdictions including Luxembourg, St Kitts and Nevis, as well as Austria, Germany and Spain.

Ansari is not under European Union sanctions.

The findings show how wealthy Iranians with close ties to the ruling system have continued to acquire high-value assets in the West despite sanctions.

The report comes as Iran has been shaken by widespread protests fueled by a collapsing currency, high inflation, and public anger over corruption. Protesters have accused elites of enriching themselves while living standards for much of the population have sharply deteriorated.

• 

  UK-sanctioned Iranian tycoon owns £33.7 million London mansion – report

• 

  Ayandeh Bank collapse lays bare Iran's economic rot