Iran's Foreign Minister to Meet IAEA Chief in Egypt 

16 March 2018, Austria, Vienna: Abbas Araghchi, then Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, gives an interview in Vienna. (dpa)
16 March 2018, Austria, Vienna: Abbas Araghchi, then Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, gives an interview in Vienna. (dpa)
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Iran's Foreign Minister to Meet IAEA Chief in Egypt 

16 March 2018, Austria, Vienna: Abbas Araghchi, then Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, gives an interview in Vienna. (dpa)
16 March 2018, Austria, Vienna: Abbas Araghchi, then Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, gives an interview in Vienna. (dpa)

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet with UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi in Egypt, Tehran's state media reported late Monday.

"During a trip to Cairo, a meeting will be held with the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency to conclude negotiations on a new protocol for interaction between Iran and the Agency," the official IRNA news agency said, quoting the foreign ministry spokesman without specifying the date of the meeting.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held telephone talks on Monday with each of Araghchi and Grossi at the directives of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with the aim to back de-escalation efforts in the region, said a foreign ministry statement.

They also aim to pave the way for the resumption of negotiations between the IAEA and Iran over the latter’s nuclear program.

Egypt is keen on achieving rapprochement between Iran and the United States, Britain, France and Germany over the nuclear program to avert escalation and support regional security and stability.

On August 28 Britain, France and Germany launched a 30-day process to reimpose UN sanctions, accusing Tehran of failing to abide by a 2015 deal with world powers that aimed to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.

Time is running out in talks between the IAEA and Iran on how to fully resume inspections in the country, Grossi said on Monday, adding that he hoped the discussions would conclude within days.

The IAEA has not had access to Iran's key nuclear facilities since the United States and Israel bombed them in June.



Iran Not More Formidable than Thought, Top US General Says

US President Donald Trump takes a question as he speaks during a press conference at Trump National Doral Miami in Miami, Florida, US, March 9, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
US President Donald Trump takes a question as he speaks during a press conference at Trump National Doral Miami in Miami, Florida, US, March 9, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
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Iran Not More Formidable than Thought, Top US General Says

US President Donald Trump takes a question as he speaks during a press conference at Trump National Doral Miami in Miami, Florida, US, March 9, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
US President Donald Trump takes a question as he speaks during a press conference at Trump National Doral Miami in Miami, Florida, US, March 9, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

The top US general said on Tuesday that while Iran was fighting, it was not more formidable than Washington had thought, as the United States geared up for the most intense day of strikes against Iran in the war so far.

General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that the United States was carrying out strikes against Iranian mine-laying vessels and the Pentagon would look at a range of options if it was tasked with escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.

The war has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global oil and liquefied natural gas transport, leaving tankers unable to sail for more than a week and forcing producers to halt pumping as storage fills.

"I think they're fighting, and I respect that, but I don't think they're more formidable than what we thought," Caine said.

US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to escalate the war with Iran if it blocked oil shipments from the Middle East, even as he predicted a quick end to the conflict.

During the press conference at the Pentagon, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States would carry out the most intense day of strikes against Iran on Tuesday.

Hegseth reiterated that this would not be an endless war and said Trump would decide when the US campaign would end.

The United States has carried out strikes against more than 5,000 targets in the first 10 days of the campaign, including against more than 50 naval ships, Caine said.


Merz Says Sees 'No Common Plan' to Quickly End Iran War

Policemen stand on top of their car with pictures of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right and left, and his son Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the successor to him, center, during a rally to support him in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Policemen stand on top of their car with pictures of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right and left, and his son Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the successor to him, center, during a rally to support him in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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Merz Says Sees 'No Common Plan' to Quickly End Iran War

Policemen stand on top of their car with pictures of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right and left, and his son Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the successor to him, center, during a rally to support him in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Policemen stand on top of their car with pictures of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right and left, and his son Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the successor to him, center, during a rally to support him in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz voiced concern Tuesday that the United States and Israel appear to have "no common plan" for bringing the war against Iran "to a swift and convincing end", AFP reported.

"The United States and Israel have been waging war against Iran for over a week. We share many of these goals, but with each day of the war, more questions arise," Merz said.

"We are particularly concerned that there is apparently no common plan for how this war can be brought to a swift and convincing end."


China Lifts Military Budget to Modernize Weapons, Defense Technology

Bull statues near screens showing the Hang Seng stock index and stock prices outside Exchange Square, in Hong Kong, China, February 3, 2026. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu//File Photo
Bull statues near screens showing the Hang Seng stock index and stock prices outside Exchange Square, in Hong Kong, China, February 3, 2026. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu//File Photo
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China Lifts Military Budget to Modernize Weapons, Defense Technology

Bull statues near screens showing the Hang Seng stock index and stock prices outside Exchange Square, in Hong Kong, China, February 3, 2026. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu//File Photo
Bull statues near screens showing the Hang Seng stock index and stock prices outside Exchange Square, in Hong Kong, China, February 3, 2026. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu//File Photo

China's increased military spending will fund its military modernization and help develop advanced weapons and defense technology innovation, the spokesperson for the military delegation at its annual parliament meeting, Zhang Xiaogang, said Tuesday.

The Chinese government has kept defense spending growing at a steady and reasonable pace in recent years, coordinated with economic development, Zhang said, Reuters reported.

China's nationwide defense spending in 2026 is set at 1.94 trillion yuan ($282 billion) in the national public budget, up 6.9% from the previous year. That includes 1.91 trillion yuan from the central government, a 7% increase on the year.

The increased spending will be used for China's military modernization, optimizing joint combat systems, speeding up development of advanced weapons and defense technology innovation, as well as military personnel and training.

The military will promote reform of military budget management and strengthen full-chain control and performance evaluation to ensure efficient and effective spending.