US House Passes Stop Iranian Drones Act

A drone at the Iranian army's annual parade last week (Iranian Presidency)
A drone at the Iranian army's annual parade last week (Iranian Presidency)
TT

US House Passes Stop Iranian Drones Act

A drone at the Iranian army's annual parade last week (Iranian Presidency)
A drone at the Iranian army's annual parade last week (Iranian Presidency)

The US House of Representatives unanimously passed the Stop Iranian Drones Act (SIDA) to end its drone program and impose sanctions on its supporters.

The bill was approved by 424 votes against two and required approval from the Senate and a presidential signature to become law.

Republicans Tom Massie and Marjorie Greene were against the bill.

The bill promises to punish those who deal with the Iranian regime in the drones' program under the US Sanctions on conventional weapons.

Democratic Representative Ted Deutsch tweeted: "time, and again, Iran has used UAVs to threaten global stability and US interests. Congress countered this destabilizing behavior today and passed the Stop Iranian Drones Act."

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik said the Act would stop Iran or Iranian allies from acquiring combat drones that could be used against US troops or US allies.

Alleging that Iran is "the world's leading exporter of terrorism," Stefanik said the world should know Washington will "use every tool at its disposal to cut off Iran's access to deadly weapons."

The legislators spoke of the importance of approving such a draft as Iran uses the drones to spread panic in the Middle East and attack US forces, Israel, and allies in the region.

They urged the Senate to pass the exact version of the bill quickly ahead of sending it for signing at the White House.

Last December, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mike McCaul, warned of the danger of drones against the US and its allies in the Middle East.

McCaul said that "these attacks are intolerable" whether Iran launches the attack, the Houthis, Iran-backed militia groups, or other Iran-sponsored entities.

"The people of the Middle East, including Americans living there, cannot live in freedom, stability, or prosperity under assault by Iran's drones," said McCaul.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks pointed out that the "deadly drones in the hands of the world's greatest exporter of terrorism, Iran, jeopardizes the security of the United States and regional peace."

He asserted that the recent Iranian drone attacks on US troops, commercial shipping vessels, regional partners, and the export of drone technology to conflict zones pose a dire threat.

The Democratic representative stressed that the bill sends a strong signal to the international community that it supports the Iranian drone program and will not be tolerated by the US government.

The senators pledged to expedite the bill's approval, which was put forward by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Bob Menendez, and its top Republican, Jim Risch, in December.

The lawmakers behind the proposed legislation say it clarifies that US sanctions on Iran's conventional weapons program under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) include the supply, sale, or transfer to or from Iran of drones, which can be used in attacks against the US or its allies.

"Iran's increasing reliance on unmanned aerial vehicles to attack US personnel and assets across the Middle East and shipping vessels, commercial facilities, and regional partners is a serious and growing menace to regional stability," said Menendez.

He warned that Iran's reckless export of this technology to proxies across the region represents a significant threat to human lives.

"We must do more to hold Iran accountable for its destabilizing behavior as we continue to confront the threat of its nuclear program."

Risch said the US must do more to halt "Iran's regional terrorism," as "we saw with recent Iranian-sponsored drone attacks on American troops and the Iraqi Prime Minister, as well as the constant attacks on Saudi Arabia."



Germany's Merz Speaks with Trump after Iran Ceasefire, Sources Says

FILED - 03 March 2026, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with German Chancellor Merz at the White House. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa
FILED - 03 March 2026, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with German Chancellor Merz at the White House. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa
TT

Germany's Merz Speaks with Trump after Iran Ceasefire, Sources Says

FILED - 03 March 2026, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with German Chancellor Merz at the White House. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa
FILED - 03 March 2026, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with German Chancellor Merz at the White House. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke with US President Donald Trump by telephone on Wednesday afternoon after the latter's ceasefire with Iran, two German government source told Reuters.

According to Germany's Bild newspaper, whichfirst reported the call, the conversation was brief and friendly, with Merz looking to get an overview on the current state of diplomatic affairs.

The two leaders did not address Germany's possible involvement in securing the Strait of Hormuz, reported Bild.


Iran Downs Israeli-made Drone above Town in South: State TV

An Iranian national flag is placed by the rubble of a collapsed building following strikes at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran on April 7, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /
An Iranian national flag is placed by the rubble of a collapsed building following strikes at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran on April 7, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /
TT

Iran Downs Israeli-made Drone above Town in South: State TV

An Iranian national flag is placed by the rubble of a collapsed building following strikes at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran on April 7, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /
An Iranian national flag is placed by the rubble of a collapsed building following strikes at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran on April 7, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /

Iranian forces downed an Israeli-made Hermes drone flying above the town of Lar in the south of the country on Wednesday, state television said, citing a statement from the Revolutionary Guards.

"Minutes ago, an advanced Hermes 900 drone was intercepted and destroyed in the sky over Lar, Fars Province, by fire from the Revolutionary Guards' modern aerospace defence system," the statement reported by broadcaster IRIB said.

It added that "the entry of any type of enemy American or Zionist aircraft into the country's skies, even without conducting military operations, is considered a violation of the ceasefire and a decisive response will be given".


India Withdraws Bid to Host Annual UN Climate Talks in 2028

An employee walks inside the facilities of an oil refinery in Vadinar, in the western state of Gujarat, India (file- Reuters)
An employee walks inside the facilities of an oil refinery in Vadinar, in the western state of Gujarat, India (file- Reuters)
TT

India Withdraws Bid to Host Annual UN Climate Talks in 2028

An employee walks inside the facilities of an oil refinery in Vadinar, in the western state of Gujarat, India (file- Reuters)
An employee walks inside the facilities of an oil refinery in Vadinar, in the western state of Gujarat, India (file- Reuters)

India has withdrawn its offer to host the United Nations annual climate Conference Of the Parties (COP33) in 2028, two government officials familiar with the matter told Reuters.

India communicated its decision to not host the conference this month, the officials said, but it was not immediately clear why the government had pulled out. The officials declined to be named as they are not authorised to speak to the media.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proposed hosting the summit in 2023. The federal ministry for environment and climate change did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Climate Home News, which first reported the news, said India withdrew after a "review of its commitments" in 2028, citing a letter written by an Indian official to the chair of the Asia-Pacific Group.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.