Russia Steps up Protection of Black Sea Cargo Ships, Develops Alternative Routes

A civilian vessel is on fire, as Ukraine's navy spokesman reported a Russian military strike on a civilian vessel, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the Black Sea port of Odesa, Ukraine, July 14, 2026. (Reuters)
A civilian vessel is on fire, as Ukraine's navy spokesman reported a Russian military strike on a civilian vessel, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the Black Sea port of Odesa, Ukraine, July 14, 2026. (Reuters)
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Russia Steps up Protection of Black Sea Cargo Ships, Develops Alternative Routes

A civilian vessel is on fire, as Ukraine's navy spokesman reported a Russian military strike on a civilian vessel, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the Black Sea port of Odesa, Ukraine, July 14, 2026. (Reuters)
A civilian vessel is on fire, as Ukraine's navy spokesman reported a Russian military strike on a civilian vessel, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the Black Sea port of Odesa, Ukraine, July 14, 2026. (Reuters)

Russia said on Monday it was stepping up protection of ships in the Azov-Black Sea basin while also developing alternative cargo routes, in a move that follows a sharp escalation of attacks at sea by both sides in the war in Ukraine.

The Russian transport ministry said that in response to "the tense situation in the Sea of Azov stemming from hostile drone attacks on ‌maritime vessels", ‌it had set up a ‌task ⁠force to find new ⁠routes and switch cargo flows to other modes of transport.

"A number of stevedoring companies have already expressed their readiness to handle additional cargo volumes and accelerate shipment rates at their terminals, within the limits of their operational capabilities," it ⁠said in a statement.

Together with the ‌defense ministry, "additional measures ‌are being implemented to ensure navigational safety and to protect maritime ‌vessels in the Azov-Black Sea basin".

Russia, the ‌world's largest wheat exporter, and Ukraine, also a major agricultural exporter, have been attacking each other's agricultural export facilities and commercial vessels in the Black Sea area ‌in recent weeks, driving wheat prices higher on global markets.

Russia's main grain ⁠lobby group ⁠warned on Friday that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian ships and ports could shut down grain exports via the Black Sea in the near future, pushing up prices and causing hunger in Africa and the Middle East.

Ukraine's largest farming union, UAC, has also warned in recent weeks that Russian strikes on shipping near the southern port of Odesa were restricting Ukrainian exports in the key harvest period and could impact global food supplies.



Iran Army: Any New War with US Could be 'Longer Than Previous Conflict'

Iranians motorists drive past a poster of Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei in central Tehran on November 1, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /
Iranians motorists drive past a poster of Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei in central Tehran on November 1, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /
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Iran Army: Any New War with US Could be 'Longer Than Previous Conflict'

Iranians motorists drive past a poster of Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei in central Tehran on November 1, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /
Iranians motorists drive past a poster of Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei in central Tehran on November 1, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) /

Iran warned on Sunday that any new war with the United States could last longer than the previous conflict and that US President Donald Trump would not be the one to determine its duration.

"A potential future war could last longer than previous conflict, and the American president would not be in a position to dictate the timing or the conditions of its conclusion," said army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia, according to Iranian state television.

He was referring to the most intense phase of the fighting in the war that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, killing supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran responded by launching missiles and drones across the region, while the militant groups it backs also entered the fray in Lebanon and Yemen.

Iran's Defense Minister Mehrdad Akhlaghi on Sunday warned of a "proportionate, decisive, and impactful response" to any attack on the country, according to state TV.

"Those who pose threats will not dictate the scope, timing, or consequences of Iran's defensive response," he added, according to AFP.

Also on Sunday, Hossein Mohebbi, the spokesperson of the Revolutionary Guard Corps echoed the remarks made by the country's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei in a written message the day before.

"In a conflict with America, there are no geographical limitations; a vast theatre has been defined for inflicting damage upon the enemy," Mohebbi said, according to state TV.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has knocked out much of Iran's military but still has to "take care of" one or two targets.

"We've knocked out their nuclear. We still have to take care of, I would say one or two sites, but we can do that in 10 minutes," Trump said.


Trump Says US Still Has 'One or Two Targets' in Iran

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 31: US President Donald Trump shakes hands with members of the media during a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago club on October 31, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 31: US President Donald Trump shakes hands with members of the media during a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago club on October 31, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP
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Trump Says US Still Has 'One or Two Targets' in Iran

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 31: US President Donald Trump shakes hands with members of the media during a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago club on October 31, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 31: US President Donald Trump shakes hands with members of the media during a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago club on October 31, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has knocked out much of Iran's military but still has to "take care of" one or two targets, as Tehran warned of reprisals if attacked.

Trump maintained that negotiations with Iran to end the war, which was started by the United States and Israel in February, were "going fine but you know they're not very reliable."

According to AFP, the Republican president said the United States is not in a hurry to take offensive action because it had already decimated Iran's military and nuclear program.

"We've knocked out their nuclear. We still have to take care of, I would say one or two sites, but we can do that in 10 minutes," Trump told reporters at his Florida residence.

"You probably could look at Pickaxe Mountain, and you have to take care of that. We can do that all very quickly," he added, referring to a suspected underground nuclear complex.

The Iranian government denied any nuclear work is carried out there.

Earlier Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump has not made a decision about fresh strikes on Iran and that the United States would be open to a diplomatic solution.

Iran's supreme leader on Saturday warned the United States and Israel against launching a new offensive, following threats they could resume strikes after crucial elections in both countries.

Trump had previously warned an attack could come after the US midterms this week, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of a "historic, one-time opportunity" to topple the Iranian government.

The elections in both countries could determine the direction of the conflict, with Israel having voted in a general election on Tuesday but yet to form a new government.

"Any level or type of threat must be met with an immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted response," Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei told top military commanders, according to a statement.

Khamenei also ordered commanders to update Iran's target list to include "all types of tangible and intangible assets belonging to the American-Zionist enemy".

This was the first reported meeting between Khamenei and military top brass.

The supreme leader has not been seen publicly since before he took the helm in March, after the killing of his father Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

Rubio warned that "we can achieve military objectives if we seek to", adding that Trump had not made a decision on any fresh strikes.

Since the recent outbreak of the war, Tehran has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries around one-fifth of global oil consumption.

Iran has previously warned it would also consider severing undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz.

Fresh diplomatic efforts are underway to avert any resumption of fighting.

Qatari mediators landed in Tehran on Friday, and US Vice President JD Vance sent a letter to Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei.

"I read the letter," said Rezaei, head of Iran's supreme national security council, in a video broadcast on Iranian television.

"I haven't yet responded. Their tone has completely changed," he added, describing that as "a good sign" without going into more detail.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there were currently no plans for meetings with US officials.

Rezaei insisted Iran would continue to blockade the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions, including releasing frozen assets, were met.

Qatar and Pakistan have been mediating between the warring parties, but the talks have yet to produce a lasting agreement.

Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said any resumption of hostilities would only expand the scope of the war.

"The flames of war will undoubtedly engulf a much wider geographical area," he said on social media.

Araghchi warned on X that there would no longer be any "red lines".


FBI Accuses NKorea of Standing Behind $6 Billion Crypto Theft from Binance

A smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration (Reuters)
A smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration (Reuters)
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FBI Accuses NKorea of Standing Behind $6 Billion Crypto Theft from Binance

A smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration (Reuters)
A smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration (Reuters)

The FBI on Saturday accused North Korea of stealing more than $6 billion in virtual assets from the cryptocurrency exchange Binance in what is thought to be the biggest-ever crypto heist.

Malicious actors from North Korea were observed laundering the stolen assets by ⁠converting them into ethereum, said the FBI, adding that ⁠it expects “further laundering stages” for the stolen ⁠digital assets.

The US law enforcement agency's statement came as Binance offered reassurances it was covering the losses from the hacking attack, saying it has used company funds to buy tokens to replenish 90% of what was stolen.

Binance is the world's largest crypto exchange by daily trading volumes.

News of the cyberattack caused the prices of most major cryptocurrencies to fall sharply on Friday.

The FBI confirmed earlier suspicions from private investigators and analysts that a North Korea-affiliated group called TraderTraitor was behind the hack.

TraderTraitor is the same group blamed for a $1.5 billion theft from the Bybit platform in February last year.

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is releasing information advising the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) was responsible for the theft of more than $6 billion USD in virtual assets from cryptocurrency exchange Binance, on or about October 29, 2026,” the statement said.

The FBI added that it had observed “TraderTraitor actors” converting stolen assets into Ethereum, and expected those assets to be laundered further by converting them using decentralized finance and instant swap services.

It said it was urging private sector entities “to block transactions with or derived from addresses TraderTraitor actors are using to launder these stolen assets.”

US President Donald Trump, however, cast doubt on the North Korea's involvement in the hack.

“I'm not concerned. We're learning about it. We don't know if it's North Korea,” Trump told reporters at his residence in Florida late Saturday.

The president often reflects with pride on summits he held with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his first term.

Binance said Saturday it has set aside more than $6.34 billion in company funds to cover losses in the hack.

“Our commitment remains the same: Binance will fully cover the financial impact of the funds stolen in this incident,” the company said on X.

It said it has used company money to buy tokens to replenish 90 percent of the stolen funds, while the remaining 10% of tokens are “less liquid, which means they may take longer to source in the required amounts.”

Binance suspended user withdrawals after the hack, but said in its latest update they were on track to resume Sunday.

The attack on Binance came as many observers express worries that the ever-expanding capabilities of artificial intelligence models could compromise cryptography and IT security protocols.

Bitcoin plunged nearly 5% after the news of the hack, while Ethereum dropped nearly six percent and BNB, native to Binance, tumbled nearly 10%.

Binance said Friday it was working to resolve what it called a “complex attack” with several “points of breach.”

The sheer scale of the hack has put a spotlight on the capacity of North Korea -- which faces extensive international sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs -- to find illicit means to capture revenue.

TraderTraitor is believed to be part of the Lazarus Group, which gained notoriety in 2014 when it was accused of hacking into Sony Pictures as revenge for “The Interview,” a film that mocked North Korean leader Kim.