Naval forces from Iran, Russia and China are set to stage a joint naval exercise in the Persian Gulf, where the three powerhouses will conduct large-scale maritime drills involving various divisions of their military forces, Press TV reports.

Forces from the three countries will jointly practice exercises during the 2024 Marine Security Belt naval war game, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani told the IRINN news channel on Friday evening.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday that the wars raging in the Middle East and Europe, coupled with increasingly brazen “bullying” by China, have underscored the need for robust U.S. leadership on the global stage.

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Israeli authorities to “more precisely define” the end goals of the war with Hamas, while arguing that the stated aim of totally eliminating the Palestinian militant group may result in a years-long conflict.

Macron’s comments came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Saturday to continue with the ground offensive in Gaza until “all its objections” are achieved, namely rescuing remaining hostages and completely “obliterating Hamas.”

Britain created Israel to safeguard it’s interests in the Middle East. But as its empire faded another took over, America.

Secretary Blinken ended his visit to Israel and left minutes after fighting in Gaza resumed, nixing gushing reports in US media about the trip being “one of the most significant diplomatic moves” to date with an eye toward ending the conflict. Sputnik asked experts to explain why the Israeli tail seems so consistently able to wag the American dog.

Israeli spies are preparing to assassinate Hamas leaders living in Lebanon, Türkiye, and Qatar once the war with the militant group is over in Gaza, officials have told the Wall Street Journal. The operation was reportedly planned more than a month ago, but postponed so that hostage negotiations could take place.

Yemeni Armed Forces have pledged to resume their operations against targets deep inside the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories, noting that they will stop attacks as soon as the Israeli aggression against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip comes to a "complete halt." 

Yemen released a statement late on Thursday, hours before a temporary truce between the Hamas resistance movement and the Israeli regime expired on Friday morning. 

An escalation in military engagements have been occurring in the Gulf of Aden as several vessels connected with the State of Israel and its supporters are being targeted by the Yemen resistance force of the Ansar Allah. See this.

On November 26, the United States Department of Defense issued a statement saying it had thwarted an attempted seizure of the Central Park, a commercial tanker operating in these waters.

Israel intends to settle score with Qatar for its support to Hamas once the emirate’s mediation role in the hostage exchange is over, says Joshua Zarka, Israeli Foreign Ministry Deputy Director General on Strategic Affairs.

"We will settle score with Qatar, who played its role in everything that is connected to the strengthening of Hamas and its legitimization. We need [Qatar] for the matter of return of the abductees, but, once this process is over, we will come to them for answers," Zarka said on the Israeli army radio.