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)
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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."



Trump Says US-Iran Talks Will Be Behind Closed Doors

US President Donald Trump, flanked by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaks during a press conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, US, April 6, 2026. (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump, flanked by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaks during a press conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, US, April 6, 2026. (Reuters)
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Trump Says US-Iran Talks Will Be Behind Closed Doors

US President Donald Trump, flanked by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaks during a press conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, US, April 6, 2026. (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump, flanked by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaks during a press conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, US, April 6, 2026. (Reuters)

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said talks on the Iran crisis would be held behind closed doors, and that "only one group of meaningful 'POINTS'" were acceptable to the United States, ‌but gave ‌no other details about ‌the ⁠negotiations.

"These are the ⁠POINTS that are the basis on which we agreed to a CEASEFIRE. It is something that is reasonable, and can easily be dispensed with," he ⁠said in a social ‌media post.

Trump ‌separately told ABC News in ‌an interview that he expects talks ‌to begin on Friday and to move very quickly.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier on Wednesday said ‌US and Iranian delegations would be arriving in Pakistan ⁠on ⁠Friday after the two nations accepted a two-week ceasefire.

Trump in his online post also threatened a federal probe into unnamed individuals he accused--without providing evidence--of circulating various correspondence that he said were not the basis for the ceasefire agreement.


France Unveils Rearmament Boost to Face Russia Threat

 France's Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin speaks during the press conference following the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on April 8, 2026. (AFP)
France's Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin speaks during the press conference following the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on April 8, 2026. (AFP)
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France Unveils Rearmament Boost to Face Russia Threat

 France's Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin speaks during the press conference following the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on April 8, 2026. (AFP)
France's Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin speaks during the press conference following the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on April 8, 2026. (AFP)

France is to ramp up explosive drone stocks by up to 400 percent by 2030, draft legislation showed Wednesday, as the country seeks to accelerate rearmament to face an aggressive Russia.

The military spending bill was presented after France's top commanders said the country must be ready in the next few years for a clash with Russia and that NATO should adapt to produce more weapons and faster.

The government on Wednesday presented its updated military planning law, adding another 36 billion euros ($42 billion) to France's defense spending between 2024 and 2030, on top of the 413 billion euros ($483 billion) already allocated.

"Our armed forces must be capable of responding to a major engagement within a timeframe that none of us can predict," Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin said following a meeting of top defense and security officials.

According to the revised legislation, which is due to be presented to parliament, the annual budget would reach 76.3 billion euros in 2030, representing 2.5 percent of gross domestic product, compared with 57.1 billion euros for this year.

The legislation does not foresee an increase in the size of France's armed forces, which remains at 210,000 active-duty personnel, 225 combat aircraft and 15 first-rate frigates.

The conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have prompted a particular focus on stocks of missiles and shells. NATO commanders say the military bloc must respond to challenges such as Russia and Iran mass-producing drones.

According to the draft legislation, an additional 8.5 billion euros will be allocated to boost stockpiles of ammunition between now and 2030, bringing the total to 26 billion euros.

While stock levels are confidential, they are set to rise by 400 percent for all types of remotely operated munitions such as explosive drones, and by 85 percent for Scalp cruise missiles.

Stocks of torpedoes are to go up by 230 percent and those of surface-to-air missiles by 30 percent.

An additional two billion euros will be allocated to procurement of drones of all types, bringing the total investment to 8.4 billion euros.

The French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), a top think tank, warned in November that Europe could struggle to quickly produce enough weapons in case of a direct confrontation with Russia.


China Says Afghanistan and Pakistan Agree to Explore a ‘Comprehensive Solution’

A general view of Kabul, Afghanistan, 06 April 2026. (EPA)
A general view of Kabul, Afghanistan, 06 April 2026. (EPA)
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China Says Afghanistan and Pakistan Agree to Explore a ‘Comprehensive Solution’

A general view of Kabul, Afghanistan, 06 April 2026. (EPA)
A general view of Kabul, Afghanistan, 06 April 2026. (EPA)

China's government said that Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed not to escalate their conflict and to "explore a comprehensive solution” after several weeks of cross-border fighting between the two countries that has left hundreds of people killed.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Wednesday that after seven days of peace talks in the western Chinese city of Urumqi under China mediation, all the parties also agreed to keep the dialogue.

“The three parties agreed to explore a comprehensive solution to the issues in the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and clarified the core and priority issues that need to be addressed,” Mao said during the daily briefing in Beijing.

She said that they acknowledged that “terrorism is the core issue affecting the relationship.”

Afghanistan and Pakistan said that they won't “take actions that would escalate or complicate the situation.”

There was no comment from Islamabad about the weeklong talks.

But Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, said on Wednesday that the talks between the Afghan and Pakistani delegations, hosted and mediated by China in Urumqi, have concluded.

In a post on X, he said that the talks were held in a “constructive atmosphere,” with discussions focusing on bilateral relations, security issues and regional stability. Balkhi thanked Beijing for hosting the talks and expressed hope that the process would help strengthen trust, deepen relations and promote effective cooperation in the region.

The talks began last week in Urumqi at the invitation of China, in an effort to stop the conflict that began between the two countries in February.

Pakistan, which declared it was in “open war” with its neighbor, has also carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan, including in the capital Kabul.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the talks had been constructive.

The United Nations’ office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in Afghanistan said on Tuesday that the conflict had displaced 94,000 people overall, while 100,000 people in two Afghan districts near the border have been completely cut off by the fighting since February.

Even during the talks, Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of carrying out shelling across its border on several occasions.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of providing a safe haven to militants who carry out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, especially the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The group is separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban, which took over Afghanistan in 2021 following the chaotic withdrawal of US-led troops. Kabul denies the charge.