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Germany's Merz Urges Iran to 'Truly Enter Talks' with US

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks during a press conference with Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan(not pictured) at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, 28 January 2026. (EPA)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks during a press conference with Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan(not pictured) at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, 28 January 2026. (EPA)
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Germany's Merz Urges Iran to 'Truly Enter Talks' with US

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks during a press conference with Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan(not pictured) at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, 28 January 2026. (EPA)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks during a press conference with Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan(not pictured) at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, 28 January 2026. (EPA)

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Iran's leadership to "truly enter talks" on Thursday, the eve of their planned negotiations with US envoys, saying there was a "great fear of military escalation in the region".

Speaking to reporters in the Qatari capital Doha, Merz said Iran had to "stop its nuclear program" and avoid "further military threats" to Israel and other countries in the region.

"Talks will therefore be intensified in the next hours," Merz said, adding that Germany was "co-ordinating closely" with the US.

Merz also responded to comments from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in which he attacked Merz's "political naivety and distasteful character", recalling that Merz had described Israel's June 2025 attack on Iran as doing the "dirty work... for all of us".

Araghchi called Germany an "engine of regression" in a post on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.

"I have seen this tweet and can only say it seems to be a sign of great nervousness and insecurity," Merz said.

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World

US Says Submarine Sank Iranian Warship off Sri Lanka

A vessel sails off the Galle coast after a submarine attack on the Iranian military ship, Iris Dena, off Sri Lanka, in Galle, Sri Lanka, March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Thilina Kaluthotage
A vessel sails off the Galle coast after a submarine attack on the Iranian military ship, Iris Dena, off Sri Lanka, in Galle, Sri Lanka, March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Thilina Kaluthotage
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US Says Submarine Sank Iranian Warship off Sri Lanka

A vessel sails off the Galle coast after a submarine attack on the Iranian military ship, Iris Dena, off Sri Lanka, in Galle, Sri Lanka, March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Thilina Kaluthotage
A vessel sails off the Galle coast after a submarine attack on the Iranian military ship, Iris Dena, off Sri Lanka, in Galle, Sri Lanka, March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Thilina Kaluthotage

A US submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday, the Pentagon said, as more nations were sucked into the Middle East war.

The US submarine torpedoed an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean during an attack called "quiet death", Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced.

It was the first US sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo since World War II. "Like in that war," Hegseth said, "we are fighting to win."

Sri Lankan authorities said the bodies of 87 bodies of Iranian sailors had been recovered.

In the Gulf, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had total control of the crucial Strait of Hormuz, after President Donald Trump has said the US Navy was ready to escort oil tankers through the waterway.

Earlier, the Revolutionary Guards warned ships against entering the strait, and major shipping firms have already suspended transit through the waterway with maritime agencies reporting several ships attacked.

World

US Defense Chief Dismisses Russia, China as Not a 'Factor' in Iran War

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi pose for a photo as they meet on March 14, 2025 in Beijing, China. Pool via REUTERS
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi pose for a photo as they meet on March 14, 2025 in Beijing, China. Pool via REUTERS
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US Defense Chief Dismisses Russia, China as Not a 'Factor' in Iran War

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi pose for a photo as they meet on March 14, 2025 in Beijing, China. Pool via REUTERS
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi pose for a photo as they meet on March 14, 2025 in Beijing, China. Pool via REUTERS

The US defense chief on Wednesday dismissed China and Russia as non-factors in Washington's decision making when it comes to the war against Iran.

"I don't have a message for them, and they're not really a factor here, and our issue is not with them," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a press conference, adding that the US focus was purely on ending what he called "the nuclear ambitions of Iran."

Russia and China have longstanding diplomatic and trade ties with Iran, while Russia has close military links to the country.

Both Moscow and Beijing have criticized the US-Israeli war to topple the Iranian government and destroy its military.

World

Türkiye Says NATO Defenses Destroyed Incoming Missile from Iran 

NATO defenses in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran towards Turkish territory (Turkish media).
NATO defenses in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran towards Turkish territory (Turkish media).
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Türkiye Says NATO Defenses Destroyed Incoming Missile from Iran 

NATO defenses in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran towards Turkish territory (Turkish media).
NATO defenses in the eastern Mediterranean intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran towards Turkish territory (Turkish media).

Türkiye said that NATO air defenses destroyed a ballistic missile fired from Iran as it headed into Turkish airspace on Wednesday, marking the first time the alliance member has been drawn into the expanding Middle East conflict. It was unclear where the missile was headed, but a NATO spokesperson said the trans-Atlantic defense bloc condemned Iran's targeting of Türkiye and that it stood firmly with all allies. The Turkish defense ministry said the missile had passed over Iraq and Syria before it was downed by NATO air and missile defense systems stationed in the eastern Mediterranean. There was no immediate comment from the United States, which has air forces stationed at Incirlik base in Türkiye's south. The base is in a province bordering Hatay province, where Turkish authorities said debris from the intercepting NATO missile had fallen.

"We warn all parties to refrain from actions that would lead to further escalation of conflict in the region. In this context, we will continue to consult with NATO and our other allies," the defense ministry said, adding there were no casualties or injuries.

"All necessary steps to defend our territory and airspace will be taken resolutely and without hesitation. We remind all parties that we reserve the right to respond to any hostile actions against our country," it added.

Two other initial statements by senior Turkish officials about the incident did not mention NATO's Article 4, which states that allies will "consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security" of a member is threatened. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan conveyed a protest to Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi in a call after the incident, a Turkish diplomatic source said. Ankara sought to mediate talks between Iran and the United States in the weeks before the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran, triggering missile and drone attacks by Tehran.