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US Lawmakers Introduce ‘Stop Iranian Drones Act’

Drones are seen during a large-scale drone combat exercise of Iran's Army (Reuters)
Drones are seen during a large-scale drone combat exercise of Iran's Army (Reuters)
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US Lawmakers Introduce ‘Stop Iranian Drones Act’

Drones are seen during a large-scale drone combat exercise of Iran's Army (Reuters)
Drones are seen during a large-scale drone combat exercise of Iran's Army (Reuters)

Several US Democratic and Republican lawmakers have put forward a bill calling for sanctions on the Iranian drone program and its suppliers.

The lawmakers introduced the Stop Iranian Drones Act (SIDA) to clarify that US sanctions on Iran's conventional weapons program under CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) include supplying, selling, or transferring to or from Iran of unmanned combat aerial vehicles.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks indicated that deadly drones in the hands of Iran jeopardize the security of the United States and regional peace.

"Recent Iranian drone attacks on US troops, commercial shipping vessels, and against regional partners, along with the export of drone technology to conflict zones, pose a dire threat," said Meeks.

He noted that SIDA aims to send a strong signal to the international community that support for the Iranian drone program will not be tolerated in Washington.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Michael McCaul warned that Iran's UAV proliferation threatens the US and its allies throughout the Middle East.

"Whether the attack is launched by Iran, the Houthis, Iran-backed militia groups or any other Iran-sponsored entities, these attacks are intolerable."

He claimed that people of the Middle East, including US citizens living there, cannot live in freedom, stability, or prosperity under assault by Iran's drones.

The bill ensures the world knows that the US will use every tool to cut off Iran's UAV supplies and punish those who continue to supply Iran with drones and parts despite their destructive impact.

Last August, the United States, Britain, and Israel blamed Iran for the attack on the Mercer Street oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, which killed two British and Romanian sailors.

The US Treasury Department has issued sanctions against a pair of companies and a handful of individuals for supporting unmanned systems for the Revolutionary Guard Corps and its al-Qods Force.

Among those sanctioned are Brig. Gen. Saeed Aghajani and top IRGC official Abdallah Mehrabi.

US officials have accused Iran of being behind a drone attack on a US base in Syria. Washington believed the drone was supplied by Tehran, but it was not launched from Iran.

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World

Ukrainian Attacks Prompt Russian-Held Crimea to Halt Civilian Gasoline Sales

Cars line up at a petrol station in Simferopol, Crimea, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP)
Cars line up at a petrol station in Simferopol, Crimea, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP)
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Ukrainian Attacks Prompt Russian-Held Crimea to Halt Civilian Gasoline Sales

Cars line up at a petrol station in Simferopol, Crimea, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP)
Cars line up at a petrol station in Simferopol, Crimea, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP)

Officials in Russia-occupied Crimea suspended civilian gasoline sales Sunday as Ukraine ramped up attacks on fuel supplies on the Black Sea peninsula.

Gov. Sergey Aksyonov, the Kremlin-appointed head of Crimea, said that overnight Ukrainian strikes killed four people and wounded 28 others. He did not specify the target of the attack.

He later wrote on social media that local gas stations would halt all sales to non-state companies and individuals for an undefined period.

“Fuel will be sold only to government agencies that ensure the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea,” Aksyonov said. “I ask everyone to remain calm and to only trust official sources of information.”

Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted fuel supplies to Crimea in recent weeks, triggering the worst energy crisis in the region since it was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement Sunday that a Crimean oil depot, as well as an oil transport facility in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region were among the targets. He described the attacks as part of Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions” against Russia’s energy infrastructure.

“Russia understands only strength, and our long-range strength is certainly working for peace,” he wrote.

Russian officials in Krasnodar reported earlier Sunday that a drone strike sparked a fire at a Black Sea oil terminal in the village of Chushka. They said that Ukrainian attacks struck a ferry, killing one person.

Motorists struggle to find fuel The Crimean peninsula has had periodic fuel shortages from Ukrainian strikes before, but the current crisis is the worst since its 2014 annexation.

At the end of May, authorities restricted the sale of gas to 20 liters (5 1/3 gallons) per vehicle owner per week, using prepaid coupons. Those were snapped up immediately following their release on an official messaging app channel, and motorists lined up for hours, waiting to refuel.

Social networks have been abuzz with requests and advice on where to find fuel, and authorities launched a hotline for tourists in the area who have found themselves trapped.

Some motorists bring their own gas from Krasnodar and elsewhere via the Kerch bridge, but they are restricted to carrying 100 liters (about 26 1/2 gallons) per vehicle. Some speculators are selling gas at double the market price.

In a rare public acknowledgment, the Kremlin has recognized the scope of the problem and promised to address the issue quickly.

However, Ukraine’s successes have highlighted its ability to inflict painful damage on Russia and change the course of the conflict while Moscow’s advances recently have ground to a near halt. On June 11, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine reached its 1,569th day, surpassing the duration of World War I.

World

Taiwan to Stage Five Days of Combat Readiness Drills

FILE PHOTO: Taiwan's High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) fire rockets during a live-fire military exercise, which simulates an enemy invasion, in Taichung, Taiwan June 10, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Angie Teo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Taiwan's High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) fire rockets during a live-fire military exercise, which simulates an enemy invasion, in Taichung, Taiwan June 10, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Angie Teo/File Photo
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Taiwan to Stage Five Days of Combat Readiness Drills

FILE PHOTO: Taiwan's High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) fire rockets during a live-fire military exercise, which simulates an enemy invasion, in Taichung, Taiwan June 10, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Angie Teo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Taiwan's High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) fire rockets during a live-fire military exercise, which simulates an enemy invasion, in Taichung, Taiwan June 10, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Angie Teo/File Photo

Taiwan's military will this ‌week hold a five-day combat readiness drill, the defense ministry said on Sunday, part of modernization plans to shift the focus of training from set piece events to more realistic exercises simulating war.

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory despite the objections of the government in Taipei, says China's armed forces routinely operate in the skies and seas around the island in an effort to pressure Taiwan to accept Chinese sovereignty.

Taiwan's military has begun basing some of its drills on ‌a scenario where China ‌suddenly turns one of its regular ‌exercises around ⁠the island into ⁠an actual attack, Reuters said.

In a statement, the defense ministry said the "Immediate Combat Readiness Exercise" would start on Monday and run until Friday, describing it as part of the armed forces' annual planned joint operations training.

"The main objective is to train units at all levels to become familiar with combat practices and ⁠the battlefield environment during the readiness deployment phase, and ‌to strengthen rapid peacetime-to-wartime transition ‌and priority deployment actions," the ministry said.

The exercise will be conducted with "actual ‌troops, on actual terrain, in real time, using actual ‌equipment, and through actual implementation", it added.

It will hone command mechanisms at all levels and the troops' combat-oriented capabilities, with an emphasis on improving joint operations command and control, logistical sustainment, and battlefield preparation, the ‌ministry said.

The announcement came on the same day the ministry said China staged another "combat readiness ⁠patrol" near ⁠Taiwan.

The ministry said China sent 21 aircraft, including J-16 fighters, KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft, and Y-20 aerial refueling aircraft.

Of those aircraft, 19 entered the airspace to Taiwan's southwest and into the Western Pacific to conduct "long-distance training over open seas", it added.

Calls to China's defense ministry seeking comment were not answered outside of office hours on Sunday. Taiwan regularly holds military drills, including earlier this month when it fired its new US-made HIMARS rocket system, which is widely used by Ukraine, into the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan's main annual Han Kuang war games are expected to take place in August.

World

Counterterror Police Investigate after 5 Hurt in Edinburgh Attacks that Appeared to Target Muslims

A still from a video showing British police officers arresting the suspect in Edinburgh.
A still from a video showing British police officers arresting the suspect in Edinburgh.
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Counterterror Police Investigate after 5 Hurt in Edinburgh Attacks that Appeared to Target Muslims

A still from a video showing British police officers arresting the suspect in Edinburgh.
A still from a video showing British police officers arresting the suspect in Edinburgh.

Counterterrorism detectives in Scotland were investigating after five people were injured in attacks in Edinburgh that appeared to target Muslims, police said Saturday.

Police Scotland said that a 36-year-old man was arrested late Friday after officers received multiple reports of attacks in the west and north of the city, The Associated Press said.

The force said that five men — two of them age 22, and others ages 24, 27 and 39 — sustained a range of injuries and three needed hospital treatment. None of the injuries is considered life-threatening.

The charity Muslim Engagement and Development said that several of those injured are Muslim. The Scottish Association of Mosques said that two of the injured men were attacked after attending prayers at their local mosque.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the suspect “appears to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred.”

“I will not tolerate this — he will face the full force of the law,” Starmer said in a post on X.

Video posted on social media appeared to show a shirtless man carrying a long weapon roaming a street and battering a restaurant door in the Scottish capital. Another video seemed to show the same man on the ground shouting about “protecting the country” while being held by a police officer.

U.K. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said that she was “horrified by news of the attack in Edinburgh.

“There is no place for hatred and violence against Muslims,” she said. “I know it is not who we are as a country.”

The Muslim Council of Britain said in a statement that the Muslim community is “rightly nervous and worried.” It said that the violence was “a direct consequence of political rhetoric that demonizes entire communities.”

Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said that it was a “shocking” incident. She said that officers “are being supported by Counter Terrorism Policing.

“I want to send a clear message of support to all our communities that there is no place for racism or faith-based hate in a Scotland, which is at its best when we stand together,” she said.