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Iran President Raisi Says Action, Not Words, Needed on Gaza

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (left) with the head of Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh (File photo: AFP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (left) with the head of Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh (File photo: AFP)
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Iran President Raisi Says Action, Not Words, Needed on Gaza

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (left) with the head of Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh (File photo: AFP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (left) with the head of Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh (File photo: AFP)

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday that the time had come for action over the conflict in Gaza rather than talk as he headed to Saudi Arabia to attend a summit on the war between Israel and Hamas.

"Gaza is not an arena for words. It should be for action," Raisi said at Tehran airport before departing for the summit of Arab and Islamic nations in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh.

"Today, the unity of the Islamic countries is very important," he added, Reuters reported.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the expansion of the war in the Gaza Strip is "inevitable" in light of the escalation of aggression against civilians.

During a phone call with his Iraqi counterpart, Fouad Hussein, Amir-Abdollahian said the US support for Israel is "the main reason for the escalation of the current crisis in the region."

The two ministers agreed to support the Palestinian people during their discussion of the developments in Palestine and the genocide in Gaza, according to the Arab World News Agency.

On Saturday, according to IRNA, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei received the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh.

Hamas representative in Lebanon, Othman Hamdan, said Haniyeh traveled to the Iranian capital a few days ago to hold talks.

Iranian media did not report the meeting, and it appears that the visit was kept secret, as the timing of Haniyeh's arrival in Tehran was unclear.

Iran maintains good relations with Hamas. Amir-Abdollahian continuously discussed with Haniyeh the developments of the Israeli aggression on Gaza in the past few weeks.

Meanwhile, thousands of protesters gathered in Palestine Square, in the center of Tehran, Friday to express their support for the Palestinians, according to IRNA news agency.

The protesters carried the Palestinian flags and chanted in solidarity with the Palestinians and Gaza.

Deputy commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Ali Fadavi praised the fighting that Hamas is waging against Israel and told supporters to have faith and be prepared to use all means against the enemy when the time comes.

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World

US Judge Rules Pentagon Press Restrictions Unconstitutional

The Pentagon and the surrounding area is seen in this aerial view in Washington, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP)
The Pentagon and the surrounding area is seen in this aerial view in Washington, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP)
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US Judge Rules Pentagon Press Restrictions Unconstitutional

The Pentagon and the surrounding area is seen in this aerial view in Washington, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP)
The Pentagon and the surrounding area is seen in this aerial view in Washington, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP)

A federal judge on Friday ruled that the Pentagon's press access overhaul, which saw accreditations from a host of prominent media outlets withdrawn, violated the constitution.

Elements of the policy are "unlawful because they violate the First and Fifth Amendments of the United States Constitution," a judge in Washington said in response to a lawsuit brought by The New York Times.

US media including the Times and Fox News, and a host of international news outlets such as AFP and AP, declined to sign the new policy in mid-October, resulting in the stripping of their Pentagon credentials.

It was the latest in a series of measures by President Donald Trump and top officials against journalists and outlets that are often derided as "fake news" when their reporting displeases the administration.

The ruling striking down the policy comes amid the US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran that began on February 28.

The court said that while national security must be protected, it was vital for the public to have information in light of the US war with Iran and its recent intervention in Venezuela.

"It is more important than ever that the public have access to information from a variety of perspectives about what its government is doing -- so that the public can support government policies, if it wants to support them; protest, if it wants to protest," the ruling said.

"And decide based on full, complete, and open information who they are going to vote for in the next election."

- 'Learning opportunity' -

The Pentagon Press Association (PPA) hailed the ruling and demanded the "immediate reinstatement" of accreditations for journalists who refused to sign on to the new policy.

"This is a great day for freedom of the press in the United States. It is also hopefully a learning opportunity for Pentagon leadership, which took extreme steps to limit press access to information in wartime," the association said in a statement.

"We look forward to returning to the Pentagon and providing the public, including the members of the military currently involved in conflicts around the world, information about why and how the Defense Department is waging war," it said.

The new policy, enforced in October last year, was the latest in a series of moves restricting journalists' access to information from the Defense Department, the nation's single largest employer, with a budget in the hundreds of billions of dollars a year.

The department had announced earlier last year that eight media organizations including The Times, The Washington Post, CNN, NBC and NPR had to vacate their dedicated office spaces in the Pentagon, alleging that there was a need to create room for other -- predominantly conservative -- outlets.

It also required journalists to be accompanied by official escorts if they go outside a limited number of areas in the Pentagon -- another new restriction on the press.

And in January, Trump said he would sue what he has called the "failing" New York Times over an unfavorable opinion poll, after initially filing a $15 billion defamation suit last year.

He has fired off multiple defamation lawsuits against media companies, including the BBC, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, CBS and ABC. Some have ended in multimillion-dollar settlements.

World

Britain Condemns Iran’s ‘Reckless Attacks’ on Diego Garcia Air Base

Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) are taken from a US Air Force B-1 Lancer bomber at RAF Fairford in south-west England on March 15, 2026. (AFP)
Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) are taken from a US Air Force B-1 Lancer bomber at RAF Fairford in south-west England on March 15, 2026. (AFP)
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Britain Condemns Iran’s ‘Reckless Attacks’ on Diego Garcia Air Base

Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) are taken from a US Air Force B-1 Lancer bomber at RAF Fairford in south-west England on March 15, 2026. (AFP)
Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) are taken from a US Air Force B-1 Lancer bomber at RAF Fairford in south-west England on March 15, 2026. (AFP)

Britain has condemned “Iran’s reckless attacks” after its military fired missiles at the UK-US air base on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

UK officials have not given details of the attempted strike, which was unsuccessful. It’s unclear how close the missiles came to the base, which is about 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) from Iran.

The Ministry of Defense said Saturday that Iran’s “lashing out across the region and holding hostage the Strait of Hormuz, are a threat to British interests and British allies.”

Britain has not participated in US Israeli attacks on Iran, but has allowed American bombers to use UK bases to attack Iran’s missile sites.

On Friday, the British government said US bombers can also use UK bases, including Diego Garcia, in operations to prevent Iran attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran targeted the base before that UK statement.

World

Iranian Man, Romanian Woman Charged Over Attempt to Enter UK Submarine Base

A photograph shows a general view of HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane, north-west of Glasgow, Scotland on March 14, 2026. (AFP)
A photograph shows a general view of HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane, north-west of Glasgow, Scotland on March 14, 2026. (AFP)
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Iranian Man, Romanian Woman Charged Over Attempt to Enter UK Submarine Base

A photograph shows a general view of HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane, north-west of Glasgow, Scotland on March 14, 2026. (AFP)
A photograph shows a general view of HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane, north-west of Glasgow, Scotland on March 14, 2026. (AFP)

An Iranian man and a Romanian woman have been charged after attempting to enter Britain's nuclear submarine base in Scotland, Police Scotland said on Saturday.

The two, who British media have ‌called suspected ‌Iranian spies, were ‌arrested ⁠on Thursday.

The charges ⁠come three weeks into the US-Israeli war on Iran. While Britain has not taken part in the ⁠attacks on Iran, the ‌country's ‌forces have downed Iranian missiles ‌and drones in the ‌Gulf region.

HM Naval Base Clyde is located on the west coast of ‌Scotland and is key to Britain's security, hosting ⁠the ⁠country's nuclear-armed submarine fleet, as well as its attack submarines.

Police Scotland said the Iranian man, 34, and the Romanian woman, 31, are due to appear at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on March 23.