ISTANBUL
Here’s a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Wednesday, including the latest developments in the Iran-Israel conflict, French President Emmanuel Macron saying forcing regime change in Iran would be a “strategic mistake,” and Russia warning that Israel’s attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities are pushing the world toward “nuclear catastrophe.”
TOP STORIES
- Israeli army launches new wave of airstrikes on Tehran
The Israeli army announced early Wednesday that it had launched a new wave of airstrikes targeting the Iranian capital Tehran.
"The Air Force has now begun a wave of strikes in the Tehran area,” it said on X.
Tensions have escalated since last Friday, when Israel launched coordinated airstrikes and drone attacks on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.
- Macron says forcing ‘regime change’ in Iran would be 'a strategic mistake'
French President Emmanuel Macron warned Tuesday that attempting to change the Iranian “regime” by force would be a “strategic mistake” and called for an immediate end to strikes targeting civilians in both Iran and Israel.
Speaking to reporters at a G7 summit in Canada, Macron cautioned against external military interventions, saying such actions have consistently failed to bring stability.
“Those who believe that bombing from the outside can save a country despite itself and against itself have always been wrong,” he said.
- Russia says Israel’s attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities pushing world toward 'nuclear catastrophe'
Russia on Tuesday said that Israel’s attacks on nuclear facilities in Iran are pushing the world toward a “nuclear catastrophe.”
A Russian Foreign Ministry statement said the ongoing strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities are illegal under international law.
The statement added that the strikes would also "create unacceptable threats to international security and push the world towards a nuclear catastrophe, the consequences of which will be felt everywhere, including in Israel itself."
“Russia calls on the Israeli leadership to come to its senses and immediately stop attacks on nuclear installations and sites under safeguards and subject to IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) verification activities,” it added.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Washington knows "exactly" where Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is, saying he is safe "for now" while warning that "our patience is wearing thin."
- Welcoming Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a G7 summit on Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called a recent deadly attack on Kyiv “barbarism.”
- In a report to the Cabinet, the Spanish government on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of a cyberattack being behind the massive blackout in April.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday issued a stern warning to Iran, stating that refusing to return to diplomatic negotiations could lead to the "complete destruction" of its nuclear program.
- US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week authorized the deployment of up to 700 military personnel to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Southern states, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
- US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he is aiming for "a real end, not a ceasefire" to the continuing Iran-Israel conflict, which began with Israeli airstrikes on Iran last Friday.
- Senior UN officials on Tuesday urged the international community to act swiftly to support Syria's fragile transition, warning that the momentum toward recovery and stability may be lost without immediate and concrete action.
- The Turkish parliament unanimously accepted a motion condemning in “strongest terms” Israel's genocide in Gaza, its actions that threaten regional peace, and attacks on Iran.
- US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone, a White House official confirmed amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
- The German government is preparing a bill to speed up arms procurement amid an intensified arms race in Europe fueled by the Russia-Ukraine war, local media reported on Tuesday.
The legislation proposes easing EU tender requirements related to environmental standards for arms purchases and military construction projects.
Under the bill, new arms contracts would be exempt from tendering requirements until 2030. In addition, legal complaints against tender decisions would not delay implementation, and domestic production of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment would be prioritized.
- Eli Lilly announced Tuesday that it plans to acquire Boston-based clinical-stage firm Verve Therapeutics for $1.3 billion.
A statement from the American pharmaceutical company said an agreement has been reached to acquire Verve Therapeutics, which develops genetic drugs to provide cardiovascular risk reduction with a single dose.
- The demographic crisis is an existential issue for Greece, the country’s finance minister stressed Tuesday.
Kyriakos Pierrakakis, speaking at an Athens conference on the economics of longevity and aging, said the demographic shift is a "revolution of longevity" that will fundamentally affect the country's economy, linking the significant shift to the fourth industrial revolution, according to daily To Vima.
- The EU Commission proposed on Tuesday to include Ukraine in the bloc-wide roaming zone in 2026, where mobile operators do not charge roaming fees to subscribers of other member states.
This will provide the same advantages to Europeans who could be in Ukraine, allowing Ukrainians to talk, text, and use their mobile data from Ukrainian phone numbers in the 27 EU nations without incurring additional costs.
- Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and European aircraft maker Airbus signed two new agreements at the 55th Paris Air Show at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Tuesday, according to a statement by TAI.
TAI will produce rudder parts for the Airbus A320, the most commonly used aircraft in civil aviation.
The Turkish defense firm will also manufacture the metal parts of the Airbus A350 F cargo plane, becoming the sole supplier of metal parts for the Airbus A350 F.
- The EU Commission on Tuesday proposed a total ban on natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Russia by the end of 2027.
- The UK on Tuesday announced a fresh package of sanctions on Russia, targeting key sectors of the country’s economy in response to what Downing Street described as President Vladimir Putin’s “continued aggression.”
In a statement, the government confirmed that 30 new targets have been sanctioned, focusing on Russia’s financial, military, and energy sectors.
