Iran Parliament Impeaches Finance Minister

The Iranian parliament impeaches the minister of finance. (Reuters)
The Iranian parliament impeaches the minister of finance. (Reuters)
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Iran Parliament Impeaches Finance Minister

The Iranian parliament impeaches the minister of finance. (Reuters)
The Iranian parliament impeaches the minister of finance. (Reuters)

The Iranian parliament impeached on Sunday Finance Minister Masoud Karbasian amid a sharp fall in the rial currency and a deterioration in the economic situation.

Karbasian lost the vote of confidence, which was carried live on state radio, by 137 votes to 121, with two abstentions.

He is the second minister in President Hassan Rouhani's cabinet to be impeached this month, following the removal of Labor Minister Ali Rabiei on August 8.

Iran has struggled with high rates of inflation and joblessness for years, despite a slight improvement following the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Critics of Rouhani's government say it squandered the opportunities presented by the nuclear deal, which now looks increasingly moribund after the US pulled out of the agreement in May and began reintroducing sanctions.

"Inefficiency and lack of planning have nothing to do with sanctions," said one conservative MP, Abbas Payizadeh, in a speech ahead of the vote.

"Wrong decisions have harmed the people and led to individuals looting public assets," he added.

Protests linked to the tough economic situation in the country began last December, spreading to more than 80 cities and towns and resulting in 25 deaths.

Sporadic protests, led by truck drivers, farmers and merchants in Tehran’s bazaar, have continued regularly since then and have occasionally resulted in violent confrontations with security forces.



Iran Army Says Fired 'Warning Missiles' at US Destroyers in Gulf of Oman

This handout photo released by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)’s official website Sepanews on February 17, 2026, shows a rocket being fired from a boat during a military exercise by members of the IRGC and navy in the Strait of Hormuz via AFP
This handout photo released by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)’s official website Sepanews on February 17, 2026, shows a rocket being fired from a boat during a military exercise by members of the IRGC and navy in the Strait of Hormuz via AFP
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Iran Army Says Fired 'Warning Missiles' at US Destroyers in Gulf of Oman

This handout photo released by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)’s official website Sepanews on February 17, 2026, shows a rocket being fired from a boat during a military exercise by members of the IRGC and navy in the Strait of Hormuz via AFP
This handout photo released by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)’s official website Sepanews on February 17, 2026, shows a rocket being fired from a boat during a military exercise by members of the IRGC and navy in the Strait of Hormuz via AFP

Iran's army said Friday it had fired "warning missiles" at two US destroyers in the Gulf of Oman, forcing the vessels to leave the area, according to state media.

"In continuation of operations to counter maritime misconduct and harassment, as well as the hijacking of commercial vessels and oil tankers by the terrorist naval forces of the United States, following the firing of warning missiles, the hostile destroyers DDG-103 and DDG-8 have left the Gulf of Oman towards the Indian Ocean," the army said in a statement carried by state news agency IRNA.

Earlier, the US Indo-Pacific Command said US forces had intercepted the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T DAVINA ⁠in the Indian Ocean overnight.

"We ‌will ‌continue global ​maritime enforcement ‌to disrupt illicit networks ‌and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate," it said ‌in a post on X.

The exchange ⁠comes ⁠amid heightened tensions over maritime security around Iran, as Washington enforces sanctions on Iranian oil shipments and Tehran has repeatedly threatened shipping in and around the Strait of ​Hormuz.

 

 

 


Ukraine and Russia Exchange 185 Prisoners of War Each in Swap

Ukrainian soldiers carry a 152mm shell before firing it towards Russian forces at a frontline position in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region on April 9, 2026 (Reuters)
Ukrainian soldiers carry a 152mm shell before firing it towards Russian forces at a frontline position in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region on April 9, 2026 (Reuters)
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Ukraine and Russia Exchange 185 Prisoners of War Each in Swap

Ukrainian soldiers carry a 152mm shell before firing it towards Russian forces at a frontline position in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region on April 9, 2026 (Reuters)
Ukrainian soldiers carry a 152mm shell before firing it towards Russian forces at a frontline position in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region on April 9, 2026 (Reuters)

Ukraine and Russia each exchanged 185 service personnel in the latest prisoner of war swap on Friday, officials in both countries said.

Most of the Ukrainians brought back were in Russian captivity since 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on X, Reuters reported.

Russia also returned one civilian, he added.

The oldest Ukrainian being brought back is 62, according to Kyiv's general staff.

Friday's swap is the second one under an agreement between the countries to swap 1,000 prisoners of war each, as part of a three-day ceasefire agreement brokered by the U.S. in early May.

The United Arab Emirates, which brokered previous rounds of swaps, also mediated the Friday exchange, the Russian defense ministry said on the Telegram app.


Truck Breakdown in Niger Strands Passengers, Leaves at Least 49 Dead in the Sahara Desert

African migrants attempt to cross the desert (file photo)
African migrants attempt to cross the desert (file photo)
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Truck Breakdown in Niger Strands Passengers, Leaves at Least 49 Dead in the Sahara Desert

African migrants attempt to cross the desert (file photo)
African migrants attempt to cross the desert (file photo)

At least 49 people died of thirst after a truck broke down and they were stranded for days in the Sahara Desert in northern Niger, authorities said.

The victims, all Nigeriens, were returning home from a religious festival in Mali when the truck stopped running more than 80 kilometers (49 miles) west of Assamaka, near the borders with Mali and Algeria, Niger's Agadez region governorate said in an online post late Thursday, The AP news reported.

Two men survived after trekking more than 50 kilometers (31 miles) to a water source and then continuing to Assamaka, where they alerted authorities, the governorate said.

A delegation sent to the scene by the Agadez Region Governor Gen. Ibra Boulama Issa learned the truck had traveled for several days from the Malian town of Talhandek about 300 kilometers (187 miles) from the Nigerien border.

It was not immediately clear what led to the breakdown or how long the passengers waited.

“On the spot, the findings were particularly disturbing. Dozens of lifeless bodies were found under the immobile truck and in its surroundings,” the Agadez governorate said.

Photos published by the governorate showed bodies in the desert with pieces of clothing and other belongings scattered around.

“Deprived of water and unable to repair the vehicle despite the efforts of the driver, his apprentice and passengers, travelers found themselves trapped in the heart of a hostile environment where extreme temperatures and lack of supply points make survival extremely difficult,” the governorate said.

The 49 victims were buried in mass graves at the scene in what officials called a “particularly delicate and emotionally exhausting task” for the survivors.