Tensions Rise in Middle East Amid Diplomacy and Security Concerns
Tensions in the Middle East escalated as Iran classified all European Union militaries as terrorist groups on Sunday, a reciprocal move following the EU's decision to designate the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as a terror group, according to Euronews. The announcement was made by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a former Guard commander.
Amid the rising tensions, Qatar intensified diplomatic efforts to prevent a wider regional escalation between Iran and the West, Euronews reported. Doha is coordinating closely with Egypt and Turkey to keep diplomatic channels open. Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met with Iran's top security official, Ali Larijani, in Tehran on Saturday to discuss the crisis.
Despite heightened concerns and a significant U.S. naval presence, no major military strike against Iran occurred early Sunday, according to Euronews. However, several explosions were reported in different Iranian cities, including a significant one in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, where reports suggested an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base was targeted. "At a moment when all eyes were on a possible U.S. strike against Iran, nothing major ultimately happened," Euronews reported.
In a separate development, grain wagons from Russia were dispatched to Armenia via Azerbaijan on Sunday as part of the normalization process between Baku and Yerevan, Euronews reported. A total of 25 grain wagons, weighing 1,746 tonnes, were sent from Russia to Armenia through Azerbaijani territory. According to Euronews, approximately 19,900 tonnes of grain have been transported in recent months.
Meanwhile, in Southeast Asia, Indonesia conditionally lifted its ban on xAI's chatbot Grok, TechCrunch reported. The ban was initially imposed after Grok was used to create a flood of nonconsensual, sexualized imagery on X, including images of real women and minors. Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs stated that the ban was lifted after X sent a letter outlining concrete steps for service improvements and the prevention of misuse. Alexander Sabar, the ministry's director general of digital space monitoring, confirmed the decision.
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