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Türkiye May Consider Role in Hormuz Demining After Iran-US Deal, Minister Says

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks to the reporters at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 19, 2026. (Reuters)
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks to the reporters at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 19, 2026. (Reuters)
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Türkiye May Consider Role in Hormuz Demining After Iran-US Deal, Minister Says

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks to the reporters at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 19, 2026. (Reuters)
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks to the reporters at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 19, 2026. (Reuters)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Türkiye could consider taking part in demining operations in the Strait of Hormuz following a possible peace agreement between Iran and the United States.

Fidan, speaking to reporters in London on Friday ‌evening, said a ‌technical team was ‌expected ⁠to carry out ⁠mine-clearing work in the strait after any agreement, adding that Türkiye viewed such efforts positively in principle as a humanitarian duty.

Fidan said ‌any demining work would be ‌carried out by a technical team ‌from various countries, formed after a possible Iran-US peace agreement

Türkiye would have "no problem" with ‌participating in mine-clearing operations under those conditions

Fidan cautioned ⁠that ⁠ Türkiye would reassess its position if any future technical coalition of countries became a party to renewed conflict

He also said he believed issues related to Iran's nuclear program could be resolved at the next round of talks in Pakistan

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World

Cyberattack Hits State Banks in Iran

A man uses an ATM of Bank Melli Iran in front of a bank in Tehran, Iran, June 17, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
A man uses an ATM of Bank Melli Iran in front of a bank in Tehran, Iran, June 17, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
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Cyberattack Hits State Banks in Iran

A man uses an ATM of Bank Melli Iran in front of a bank in Tehran, Iran, June 17, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
A man uses an ATM of Bank Melli Iran in front of a bank in Tehran, Iran, June 17, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

Electronic banking services have been severely disrupted after another cyberattack on several state banks in Iran, dpa said on Tuesday quoting Iranian media outlets.

According to the reports, the three affected banks - Melli, Saderat and Tejarat - temporarily had to shut down their customers' card services nationwide, meaning online payments were not possible.

This was intended to prevent unauthorized access and ensure the security of customers' assets, the IT department of the Banking Coordination Council said, according to the Shargh online news website.

Experts are currently working to restore operations as quickly as possible, it said. However, the council was unable to provide more detailed information. Private banks in the country are not affected by the attacks.

A cyberattack in mid-June disrupted four major state banks, with online payments and numerous cash machines in the capital Tehran stopping working.

“A silent war is unfolding and Iran is under cyberattack,” the Iranian hacker group Black Wolves said on its Telegram channel at the time, claiming responsibility for the attack.

Back in 2022, during the women's protests, there was a major hack targeting Iran's central bank. The surveillance cameras of the notorious Evin prison in Tehran were also hacked.

Published footage showed violent assaults by prison staff on political prisoners.

The hacker attacks are regarded as a form of digital protest against the Islamic system of government in Iran.

World

South Korea Says North Korean Soldier in Custody after Crossing Border

File photo of North Korean soldiers at a guard post near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas (Reuters)
File photo of North Korean soldiers at a guard post near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas (Reuters)
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South Korea Says North Korean Soldier in Custody after Crossing Border

File photo of North Korean soldiers at a guard post near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas (Reuters)
File photo of North Korean soldiers at a guard post near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas (Reuters)

South Korea took a soldier from the North into custody after the individual crossed the heavily fortified border this week in what is believed to be a defection, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday.

"The military secured one North Korean soldier in the central front Tuesday night and relevant authorities are currently investigating the details," Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a message to the media, according to Yonhap.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans have fled to South Korea since the peninsula was divided by war in the 1950s.

Most go overland to neighboring China first, then enter a third country such as Thailand before finally making it to the South.

Defections across the land border that divides the peninsula are relatively rare, as the area is densely forested, ridden with landmines and monitored by soldiers on both sides.

North Koreans are typically handed over to Seoul's intelligence agency for screening after arriving in the South.

More than 34,000 North Koreans have escaped the isolated country to the South, according to data from the Unification Ministry.

In 2024, 236 North Koreans arrived in South Korea, with women accounting for 88 percent of the total.

Pyongyang uses harsh words such as "human scum" to describe citizens who escape.

World

Alibaba Sues Pentagon over Blacklist Designation

The headquarters of the tech giant Alibaba (AP)
The headquarters of the tech giant Alibaba (AP)
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Alibaba Sues Pentagon over Blacklist Designation

The headquarters of the tech giant Alibaba (AP)
The headquarters of the tech giant Alibaba (AP)

Chinese tech giant Alibaba has filed a federal lawsuit against the US Defense Department for designating it a military-linked firm, with the company telling AFP on Wednesday that the labelling is "arbitrary and capricious.”

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in San Jose federal court, contests the Pentagon's decision to include Alibaba in a list released this month of companies it says have ties to the Chinese military.

"The determinations have no basis in fact or law," the complaint said.

"Alibaba is not a Chinese military company nor part of any military-civil fusion strategy," a company spokesperson told AFP on Wednesday.

"The decision to place Alibaba on the... list is arbitrary and capricious, and we are filing a lawsuit against the Department of War to demand removal from the list," they said.

The Pentagon released the new blacklist this month of 80 companies and their subsidiaries it said were aiding the Chinese military.

The list also saw tech giant Baidu and electric vehicle firm BYD added.

Under the designation, beginning June 30, the Pentagon cannot enter into new contracts with designated companies or their controlled subsidiaries.

The designation also restricts the company's ability to retain lobbying firms in the United States, which the lawsuit argues violates First Amendment rights.

"The effect is already being felt: advocates who have represented Alibaba for years have informed the company that they can no longer do so," the complaint stated.

Alibaba said in its lawsuit it is a publicly traded e-commerce and cloud-services provider with a diverse shareholder base dominated by major American financial institutions including JPMorgan, Citigroup, and BlackRock.

China retaliated against the blacklist on Monday, imposing export controls on 10 US companies involved in defense and rare earths mining.

The feud tests bilateral relations after US President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met in Beijing last month to stabilize ties.