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World Powers Slam Iran for Seizing British Tanker

Undated handout photograph shows the Stena Impero, a British-flagged vessel owned by Stena Bulk, at an undisclosed location, obtained by Reuters on July 19, 2019. (Reuters)
Undated handout photograph shows the Stena Impero, a British-flagged vessel owned by Stena Bulk, at an undisclosed location, obtained by Reuters on July 19, 2019. (Reuters)
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World Powers Slam Iran for Seizing British Tanker

Undated handout photograph shows the Stena Impero, a British-flagged vessel owned by Stena Bulk, at an undisclosed location, obtained by Reuters on July 19, 2019. (Reuters)
Undated handout photograph shows the Stena Impero, a British-flagged vessel owned by Stena Bulk, at an undisclosed location, obtained by Reuters on July 19, 2019. (Reuters)

Iran's seizure of a UK-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz has ramped up tensions in the Gulf region after the US military claimed it had downed an Iranian drone.

Britain and its Western allies have called for the release of the vessel, slamming Iran for its destabilizing actions.

US President Donald Trump said he would hold talks with Britain about the tanker's seizure by Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

"And this only goes to show what I'm saying about Iran: trouble. Nothing but trouble," he told reporters at the White House on Friday.

He again denounced the 2015 deal between Iran and Western powers aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions, describing it as a "ridiculous agreement" made by his predecessor Barack Obama.

Trump pulled the United States out of the deal last year and began ratcheting up sanctions against Iran.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he had spoken to his Iranian counterpart Mohamad Javad Zarif "and expressed extreme disappointment that having assured me last Saturday Iran wanted to de-escalate situation they have behaved in the opposite way.

"This has to be about actions not words if we are to find a way through. British shipping must and will be protected," he tweeted.

On Saturday afternoon, he said that Britain's action against the Grace 1 supertanker was legal because it involved the enforcement of international sanctions against Syria since the crude oil on board was bound for that country.

In contrast, he said, Iran had no legal justification for taking control of the Stena Impero tanker while it was in Omani waters and forcing it to go to Iran.

Hunt said "due process" will continue in the Grace 1 case to determine what happens to the tanker and its cargo and called for Iran to also follow legal norms.

The incident came hours after a court in the British territory of Gibraltar extended the detention of the Grace 1.

"Our reaction will be considered but robust. We have been trying to find a way to resolve Grace 1 issue but WILL ensure the safety of our shipping," Hunt said on Twitter.

The EU said the seizure was "of deep concern.

"In an already tense situation, this development brings risks of further escalation and undermines ongoing work to find a way to resolve current tensions," said a statement from the EU's foreign affairs office.

"We urge the immediate release of the remaining ship and its crew, and call for restraint to avoid further tensions," it said. "Freedom of navigation must be respected at all times."

Germany called on Iran to immediately release the Swedish-owned, British-flagged Stena Impero.

The seizure was a "dangerous further aggravation of an already tense situation", a foreign ministry statement said.

France made a similar call, with the foreign ministry saying Iran's action "hampers a necessary de-escalation of tensions in the Gulf region.

"We call on Iranian authorities to quickly release the ship and its crew, and to respect freedom of navigation principles in the Gulf."

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World

Jailed Istanbul Mayor Dares Erdogan to Call Early Elections Now

The protest demonstrations in Türkiye against the arrest of İmamoğlu have been ongoing since March 2025 (account of the Republican People's Party on X)
The protest demonstrations in Türkiye against the arrest of İmamoğlu have been ongoing since March 2025 (account of the Republican People's Party on X)
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Jailed Istanbul Mayor Dares Erdogan to Call Early Elections Now

The protest demonstrations in Türkiye against the arrest of İmamoğlu have been ongoing since March 2025 (account of the Republican People's Party on X)
The protest demonstrations in Türkiye against the arrest of İmamoğlu have been ongoing since March 2025 (account of the Republican People's Party on X)

Almost one year after he was jailed, Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has told Reuters that Tayyip Erdogan should call elections "now" and predicted that the president would lose if he ran again.

Imamoglu has emerged in recent years as Erdogan’s main rival, with polls suggesting he could indeed defeat Türkiye's leader of more than two decades if he is able to run.

But he has been the focus of a crackdown on the main opposition party that rights groups and foreign observers say has undermined the democratic credentials of EU candidate and NATO member Türkiye.

Having defeated Erdogan's ruling AK Party in three Istanbul elections, Imamoglu, 55, remains a powerful figurehead for the opposition despite being in prison since March 2025, pending trial on corruption charges that he denies.

MAYOR SAYS ERDOGAN KNOWS HE WILL LOSE ELECTION

"We want early elections now. But the current president sees the coming defeat and shies away from elections," a defiant Imamoglu ‌said in his ‌responses to Reuters' questions conveyed by his legal team from the prison at Silivri, west ‌of ⁠Istanbul.

"He will run ⁠and he will lose. And Türkiye will be the winner," Imamoglu said.

His Republican People's Party (CHP) has been calling for months for a snap vote. If elected, it says it would restore rule-of-law governance, revive stalled EU accession talks, and pursue a more social-democratic economic model.

A presidential election is not scheduled until 2028 but if Erdogan, 71, wishes to seek a third term he is obliged to hold it early, unless the constitutional term limits are changed.

Erdogan, who has led Türkiye as prime minister or president since 2003, would need three-fifths of lawmakers to vote for holding early elections, meaning he would also need support from outside his governing alliance.

Most analysts think Erdogan will call ⁠elections next year.

The CHP has sought to keep Imamoglu in the public eye by holding ‌weekly rallies in Istanbul. The latest opinion polls suggest a neck-and-neck race between the ‌CHP and Erdogan's AKP.

Imamoglu, the CHP's formal presidential candidate despite being behind bars, said he maintains a roughly 18-hour working day, toiling with ‌his lawyers on more than 10 cases and investigations, reading letters from supporters and continuing his municipal responsibilities.

He also exercises daily ‌within a 24-square-meter courtyard with high walls, he said in seven pages of responses.

TRIAL BEGINS IN MARCH

But Imamoglu's hopes of contesting the election are looking bleak as he faces a judicial onslaught that will peak next month when he goes on trial.

"As the day of their defeat approaches, the government is increasing the level of pressure and hostility directed towards us," he said.

The main prosecutor in his cases, Akin Gurlek, sought a ‌jail sentence of more than 2,000 years for Imamoglu on charges of running a criminal organization at the Istanbul municipality involved in corruption.

Gurlek was appointed justice minister on Wednesday, sparking CHP criticism ⁠that exploded into a brawl ⁠in parliament with AKP lawmakers. Erdogan accused the CHP of "displaying every kind of thuggery" in the incident.

"The CHP's job will now become even more difficult," said political commentator Murat Yetkin, adding that Erdogan's choice of Gurlek was not just about sidelining Imamoglu but was related to restructuring the justice ministry and judicial mechanisms.

Imamoglu, whose comments to Reuters came before Gurlek's appointment, decried the barrage of court cases against him as a politically driven campaign to block his presidential bid.

"Those in power, having realized they would lose, see their remedy in keeping me in prison on false allegations and by ordering the judiciary around," he said.

The government denies exerting influence over the judiciary, which it says is independent. Erdogan has largely avoided commenting on Imamoglu's case, saying the investigations have "nothing to do with me".

In another blow to Imamoglu's presidential ambitions, a court last month rejected his lawsuit challenging the cancellation of his university degree – a qualification required of any presidential candidate.

Nacho Sanchez Amor, the European Parliament's Türkiye rapporteur, said that ruling made the judiciary appear "ridiculously biased".

Asked if he thought he would be able to run in the next election, Imamoglu said he maintained his faith in justice and would exercise his legal rights to the fullest.

"No pressure and no obstacle will keep me from working to make this country more just, freer, and more prosperous," he said.

World

Iran Announces Enquiry Team to Investigate Deadly Protests 

Iranians walk on a street in Tehran on February 7, 2026. (AFP)
Iranians walk on a street in Tehran on February 7, 2026. (AFP)
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Iran Announces Enquiry Team to Investigate Deadly Protests 

Iranians walk on a street in Tehran on February 7, 2026. (AFP)
Iranians walk on a street in Tehran on February 7, 2026. (AFP)

The Iranian government announced on Friday the establishment of a commission of enquiry to look into protests against the high cost of living that turned into anti-government rallies that left thousands dead.

"A fact-finding committee has been formed with representatives from relevant institutions and is collecting documents and hearing statements," Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani told the local news agency ISNA.

The spokeswoman did not specify whether the commission would only focus on the economic demands that triggered the protests, or whether it would also investigate deaths during the protests.

"The final report will be published for public information and further legal action after the process is completed," she stated.

On Thursday, the government website published comments by President Masoud Pezeskhian as saying: "We have assigned teams to investigate the causes (of the unrest)." He did not provide further details.

The protests, which began in late December before escalating on January 8, left more than 3,000 dead, according to the official count.

Iranian authorities claim that the vast majority of victims were security forces or bystanders killed by "terrorists" working for Israel and the United States.

Human rights advocacy groups based outside Iran, however, accuse the security forces of targeting protesters.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reports that at least 7,005 people were killed during the peak of the protests.

"We are ashamed that such unfortunate events have occurred," Pezeshkian said, according to the report published on the government website.

World

London's High Court: UK Terror Ban on Pro-Palestine group Unlawful

People protest outside the High Court as judges prepare to rule on a legal challenge to the British government’s decision to designate pro‑Palestinian group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, in London, Britain, February 13, 2026. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
People protest outside the High Court as judges prepare to rule on a legal challenge to the British government’s decision to designate pro‑Palestinian group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, in London, Britain, February 13, 2026. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
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London's High Court: UK Terror Ban on Pro-Palestine group Unlawful

People protest outside the High Court as judges prepare to rule on a legal challenge to the British government’s decision to designate pro‑Palestinian group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, in London, Britain, February 13, 2026. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
People protest outside the High Court as judges prepare to rule on a legal challenge to the British government’s decision to designate pro‑Palestinian group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, in London, Britain, February 13, 2026. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy

The British government's ban on pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization is unlawful, London's High Court ‌ruled on Friday ‌after a ‌legal ⁠challenge by the ⁠group's co-founder.

Palestine Action was proscribed in July, having increasingly targeted Israel-linked ⁠defense companies in ‌Britain ‌with "direct action", often ‌blocking entrances, or ‌spraying red paint.

The High Court upheld two grounds ‌of challenge, with Judge Victoria Sharp saying: "Proscription ⁠did ⁠result in a significant interference with the right to freedom of speech and the right to freedom of assembly."

Sharp added that the ban would remain in place to give the parties' lawyers time to address the court on ​the ​next steps.

Earlier this month, six British Palestine Action activists were acquitted of aggravated burglary over a 2024 raid on Israeli defense firm Elbit's factory, with a jury returning no guilty verdicts at all in a blow for prosecutors.