Saint Lucia başbakanı
UN atomic watchdog says found tonnes of nuclear material at Syria site
The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday its inspectors had found several tonnes of nuclear material in Syria, at a site Damascus reported to the agency last month. The inspectors visited two sites, one in Deir Ezzor and “a second location related to the nuclear material identified by Syria recently”, according to a joint statement. Speaking at a news conference in Damascus, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), praised Damascus’s “courageous decision” to report the undisclosed site, which dates back to the rule of ousted former leader Bashar al-Assad. “We are talking about a few tons of nuclear material that could be put to bad use,” he said, promising that it would be put under international safeguards. Speaking at a joint press conference with Grossi, Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said: “On July 17, we sent an official letter to the agency, in which we declared of our own free will the presence of nuclear materials at an undeclared site within the legacy left by the former regime.” Shaibani said technical assessments indicated that the materials do not pose a risk, adding that they “will remain in Syrian national custody and subject to the agency’s safeguards system”. Grossi, meanwhile, said, “This material will be accounted for, will be put within the international safeguards system.” Syrian and IAEA experts will work together to safely store the materials, he said. “We are starting to turn a page, and turning a page does not mean forgetting the past”. Likely from reactor Grossi also visited a site in Deir Ezzor in the east, which has been shut for 18 years. In 2018, Israel admitted to carrying out a top-secret air raid against the site 11 years earlier. In 2008, less than a year after the strike, US officials accused Syria of having sought to build a secret nuclear reactor and acknowledged that Israel had destroyed it in the raid. The UN atomic watchdog declared in 2011 that the Syrian site was “very likely” to have been a nuclear reactor, adding that information provided to it suggested that it was being built with North Korean assistance. Pierre Razoux, academic director of French think tank the FMES Institute, told AFP the nuclear materials found on Tuesday are “most likely … linked to the Syrian nuclear program, which was halted in 2007 after the Israeli raid on the Al-Kibar site” in Deir Ezzor. He said, however, that Syria may also have nuclear materials that Iraq got rid of at the start of the 2000s. Grossi said the find vindicated the IAEA’s longstanding suspicion that Syria had been secretly building a reactor and that the agency was “at the… site of Deir Ezzor, where a very comprehensive work of excavation and exploration is taking place now”. The watchdog said last year that it had discovered uranium particles at the site during an inspection in 2024. Grossi’s visit came after news outlet Axios last week quoted US and Israeli officials as saying Washington and the IAEA reached an agreement to have the watchdog remove nuclear material stored at a clandestine site in Syria after having “reached understandings with Syria and Israel”. Axios said Israel was closely monitoring a location called “Site 99”, where Israeli officials say the Assad government stored nuclear material that was part of the Deir Ezzor project, also known as Al-Kibar, and that Israel had threatened to bomb it.
Renaissance paintings stolen from Italian museum
MILAN: Thieves stole four artworks by 15th century painter Antonello da Messina from a museum in his Sicilian hometown, a loss to the island’s cultural heritage that a local councillor described as a “blow to the heart”. The theft deprives Messina of parts of the only surviving work by the Renaissance painter to have remained in his native city, as well as a small painting the Sicilian region acquired two decades ago. The thieves entered the Museo Regionale di Messina late on Saturday, while the town was busy celebrating Assumption Day, Messina Mayor Federico Basile said. As part of the celebrations, the people of Messina escort a carriage with colourful statues of the Virgin, Jesus and angels throughout the city during an hourslong procession known as ‘la Vara’. Enzo Caruso, a local councillor in charge of culture, said the city had been “truly stunned” by the burglary. “At first, nobody could believe it,” he added. Caruso said the purchase of an Antonello da Messina piece by the Italian state for $15 million earlier this year had likely put the Messina museum on the criminals’ radar. The museum also houses works by baroque master Caravaggio. “This was almost certainly a commissioned theft,” he added. The thieves stole five wooden panels that made up an altarpiece measuring 170 cm by 203 cm, known as Polittico di San Gregorio, but abandoned two panels just outside the museum. Originally comprising six boards and destined for a local monastery that was destroyed by Messina’s 1908 earthquake, the altarpiece was the only work by the Sicilian painter never to have left his hometown. The thieves took a fourth artwork from a secure display case: a small two-sided painting depicting the Virgin with Child and a Franciscan monk on one side and Christ on the other. The work was part of the Wilhelm Soldan collection and was sold by Christie’s to the Sicilian Region in 2003, the year it was attributed to Antonello da Messina. In February Italy’s culture ministry bought another two-sided painting, known as Ecce Homo, from Sotheby’s just before it was to be sold at auction. Born around 1430, Antonello da Messina trained in Naples where he studied the works of Flemish artists, whose influence is apparent in his works. He returned to Messina in 1457, where he worked until 1474. The theft comes days after police in the northern Italian city of Parma announced the recovery of three paintings by French masters Paul Cezanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Henri Matisse that had been stolen from a museum there in March. Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2026
- Siyasi16 Ağu
Rönesans ustasının eserleri müzeden çalındı
İtalya'nın Sicilya Adası'ndaki Messina kentinde bulunan bölge müzesinden, Rönesans ressamı Antonello da Messina'ya ait dört eser çalındı. Hırsızlar, kentin Meryem Ana'nın Göğe Kabulü Bayramı kutlamalarıyla meşgul olduğu cumartesi gecesi Museo Regionale di Messina'ya girdi. Messina Belediye Başkanı Federico Basile, soygunun kentte saatler süren ve “La Vara” adı verilen geleneksel geçit töreninin düzenlendiği sırada gerçekleştiğini söyledi. Törende Meryem Ana, İsa ve melekleri tasvir eden renkli heykellerin bulunduğu büyük bir platform kent sokaklarında taşınıyor. Messina Belediyesi'nin kültürden sorumlu yöneticisi Enzo Caruso, Reuters'a yaptığı açıklamada kentin soygun karşısında “gerçekten şoke olduğunu” belirtti. Caruso, “İlk başta kimse buna inanamadı.” dedi. “SİPARİŞ ÜZERİNE YAPILMIŞ BİR HIRSIZLIK” Caruso, İtalyan devletinin bu yılın başında Antonello da Messina'ya ait bir eseri 15 milyon dolara satın almasının müzeyi suçluların radarına sokmuş olabileceğini söyledi. Caravaggio'nun eserlerinin de bulunduğu müzenin özellikle hedef alınmış olabileceğini belirten Caruso, “Bu neredeyse kesinlikle sipariş üzerine gerçekleştirilmiş bir hırsızlıktı” değerlendirmesinde bulundu. Hırsızlar, Polittico di San Gregorio adı verilen ve 170 santimetreye 203 santimetre ölçülerindeki altar panosunu oluşturan beş ahşap parçayı müzeden çıkardı. Ancak panolardan ikisini müzenin hemen dışında bıraktı. Böylece eserin üç paneli çalındı. Başlangıçta altı panodan oluşan eser, Messina'daki bir manastır için hazırlanmıştı. Manastır 1908'de kenti yerle bir eden depremde yıkılmıştı. Polittico di San Gregorio, Sicilyalı ressam Antonello da Messina'nın doğduğu kentten hiç ayrılmamış tek eseri olarak biliniyordu. VİTRİNDEKİ İKİ YÜZLÜ TABLO DA ÇALINDI Hırsızlar ayrıca güvenlikli bir vitrinde sergilenen küçük, iki yüzlü bir tabloyu da çaldı. Eserin bir yüzünde çocuk İsa'yla birlikte Meryem Ana ve Fransisken bir keşiş, diğer yüzünde ise İsa tasvir ediliyor. Wilhelm Soldan koleksiyonuna ait olan eser, 2003 yılında Christie's tarafından Sicilya Bölgesi yönetimine satılmıştı. Aynı yıl tablonun Antonello da Messina'ya ait olduğu belirlenmişti. İtalya Kültür Bakanlığı da şubat ayında ressamın Ecce Homo adıyla bilinen başka bir iki yüzlü eserini Sotheby's'te açık artırmaya çıkmadan hemen önce satın almıştı. Yaklaşık 1430 yılında doğan Antonello da Messina, Napoli'de eğitim gördü. Burada eserleri üzerinde önemli etkisi bulunan Flaman ressamların çalışmalarını inceledi. 1457'de Messina'ya dönen ressam, 1474'e kadar kentte çalıştı. Soygun, İtalya'nın kuzeyindeki Parma kentinde polisin, mart ayında bir müzeden çalınan Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir ve Henri Matisse'e ait üç tabloyu bulduğunu açıklamasından yalnızca birkaç gün sonra meydana geldi.
Farmers, helicopters help battle record Belgian wildfire
Military helicopters backed by tractors on the ground hauled water Sunday to help firefighters tame Belgium’s largest modern-day wildfire, which mushroomed in size since breaking out two days earlier in a hard-to-access nature reserve. Local farmers have poured in to help battle the blaze in the High Fens park near the German border, an area of fragile peatlands and pine forests popular with hikers, joining several hundred firefighters and emergency workers. Near the blaze’s edge in Baelen, a ballet of tractors were pulling in tankers of water drawn from Robertville lake a few miles north – with water-bearing Chinook helicopters flown in from the Netherlands to spearhead the effort. Burned tree stumps in the area affected by wildfire near Malmedy, Belgium, August 16, 2026. — Reuters “Right now there are about 15 tractors queuing to fill up,” Jean-Pierre Robert, who manages a lakeside hotel, told AFP. “We moved our cows, and opened up all our fences to give them access,” said the 54-year-old. Authorities described the conditions Sunday as still “challenging”, but two of the fire fronts — heading towards the localities of Jalhay and Monschau — were now “under control”, according to Interior Minister Bernard Quintin. From 80 hectares burned on Friday, the day the fire started for reasons still unknown, the area affected jumped to 850 hectares Saturday morning — and by early Sunday had spread to 3,000 hectares. The blaze broke out in an area that was ravaged by massive fires in 1911, during a similar period of heatwaves and drought — and is the country’s largest wildfire since then. The entire area has been blanketed by a thick plume of yellowish smoke, prompting the partial evacuation of two villages close by. Around 20 people spent the night in a local sports hall, the Liege governor’s office said, with others believed to have found shelter with friends and family — or in some cases ignored evacuation orders to stay home. Fumes have travelled into the neighbouring Namur province, where authorities had to ask residents to stop saturating emergency phone lines with reports of the smell. The governor’s office said shifting winds had complicated firefighters’ efforts but that “the defensive line protecting evacuated areas is holding”. Firefighters gather near the Mobile Command Unit vehicle (R) and Fire Service Logistics Support vehicle (L) serving as a canteen in Baelen, near Eupen, eastern Belgium, as they prepare to tackle a wildfire burning in the Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) nature reserve on August 16, 2026. — AFP “No homes have been affected at this stage, although the fire remains close and smoke levels are significant,” it said. Help from the skies Firefighters from across Belgium and from Germany have been deployed to assist, supported by next-generation fire engines. But authorities said operations were “particularly complex” because of the fens’ terrain – a patchwork of heath, peat bogs and raised wooden boardwalks where heavy vehicles risk sinking into the ground, and firefighters struggle to tackle the fire at close range. They were counting heavily on aerial assistance to bring the situation under control. European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib told AFP Sunday that two water-bombing aircraft had arrived from Sweden, backing up four helicopters — two Belgian and two Dutch — already on site. A liaison officer was tasked with coordinating the aerial resources “to prevent accidents,” she said. Prime Minister Bart De Wever has thanked Belgium’s European partners for the assistance Like much of Europe, Belgium has experienced a new spell of intense heat and drought in recent days. Temperatures reached as high as 37C in some parts of the country on Friday, creating conditions conducive to wildfire outbreaks. But rescue teams have been unable to access the area where the High Fens fire first broke out, meaning its precise cause remains unknown.
South Lebanon: Doctor describes escalating humanitarian toll
Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon have killed at least 11 people, in what local authorities describe as the largest escalation since the June agreement. Speaking to FRANCE 24, Pierre Catoire, an emergency doctor working in the area, described a deteriorating humanitarian situation, saying some doctors lost their homes in Saturday’s strikes and healthcare workers are increasingly worried that hospitals could also be targeted. He said the most common injuries are blast and compression wounds, while doctors are also concerned about infections, as well as the long-term psychological impact on civilians.
İsrail'in 1915 Kararına Ankara ve Bakü'den Sert Tepki: 'Kendi Suçunu Örtbas Çabası'Italian police recover paintings by Cézanne, Renoir and Matisse after heist
Artworks valued at total of more than $10m were stolen from Magnani Rocca Foundation near Parma in March Italian police have recovered three paintings by the French masters Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Henri Matisse that were stolen earlier this year from a private museum near the northern city of Parma, authorities said on Friday. The raid took place overnight on 22-23 March at the Magnani Rocca Foundation, about 12 miles (19km) from Parma, after a series of high-profile thefts from other European museums. Continue reading...
Joint Statement from the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes region (ICG)
Joint Statement from the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes region (ICG) jeroen.francois Fri, 08/14/2026 - 11:36 Statement Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda Disarmament Diplomatic map August 14, 2026 The United States, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the European Union, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, as members of the International Contact Group (ICG) for the Great Lakes region, chaired by France, issue the following statement regarding the disarmament, demobilization, and cantonment protocol signed between the Congolese authorities and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda-FOCA (FDLR) The ICG takes good note of the announcement made on 28 July by the DRC government, that a faction of the FDLR formally accepted and signed a protocol on their disarmament, demobilization, and cantonment. The ICG urges the Congolese authorities to promptly develop an operational plan and a realistic timeline to implement an effective FDLR neutralization in line with obligations signed in the Washington Agreements and the Disengagement of Forces/Lifting of Defensive Measures of Rwanda (CONOPS) of October 31, 2024, and the Washington agreement of June 27, 2025. The ICG notes the crucial importance that the Congolese Government implements the protocol. It therefore also urges the Congolese government to clarify the mechanisms for combating impunity, as referred to in the protocol, and to work with MONUSCO as a key partner in implementation. The ICG further underscores that any colocation or operational collaboration with elements of the FDLR is fundamentally at odds with the commitments made in the Washington Accords. At the same time, the ICG is ready to welcome any concrete steps forward taken by either the DRC or Rwanda, following commitments made in the framework of the peace process. The ICG urges all parties to the Washington Accords and Doha Framework, as well as the various mediation efforts, including those of the African Union, to continue their efforts to implement the commitments made. The ICG reminds the parties of their obligation to protect civilians, to comply with Security Council resolutions 2773 and 2808, including full respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to immediately de-escalate the situation. The ICG also recognizes the prisoner exchange agreement between the DRC and the AFC/M23 as a vital confidence-building measure to de-escalate tension and foster trust between the warring parties. In this regard, the ICG commends the recent transfer facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) of individuals released by Congolese authorities to AFC/M23, which is a step in the right direction. The group also calls on all parties to honour their obligations to respect international humanitarian law and to guarantee full, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access in order for essential aid to be delivered to those in need. Keep up-to-date Subscribe to our newsletters to stay informed about the activities of our FPS Our spokespersons Pierre Steverlynck pierre.steverlynck@diplobel.fed.be Florinda Baleci florinda.baleci@diplobel.fed.be Social Media Hide all social media Show all social media
Büyük Göller Temas Grubu'ndan Kongo ve Ruanda BildirisiFormer European and Russian Officials Held Secret Talks in Austria – Bloomberg
The Western figures included former British national security adviser Tim Barrow, former German State Secretary Markus Ederer and veteran French diplomat Pierre Vimont, sources told Bloomberg.
Ölümcül salgın hızla yayılıyor! Can kaybı 1500'ü geçti, henüz aşısı yok
Aylar içinde binlerce kişiye bulaşan ve 1.500'den fazla kişinin ölümüne yol açan ölümcül salgın, sağlık uzmanlarını alarma geçirdi. Kısa sürede rekor seviyede yayılan hastalık nedeniyle bilim insanları bir yandan vaka artışını durdurmaya çalışırken diğer yandan etkili bir aşı geliştirmek için zamana karşı yarışıyor. ‘TARİHTEKİ EN HIZLI YAYILAN SALGIN’ Daily Star'ın haberine göre söz konusu salgının, Demokratik Kongo Cumhuriyeti'nde görülen Bundibugyo varyantının neden olduğu Ebola salgını olduğu açıklandı. Dünya Sağlık Örgütü (DSÖ), bunun virüsün bilinen tarihindeki en hızlı yayılan Ebola salgını olduğunu duyurdu. Yetkililerin paylaştığı verilere göre yaklaşık yüzde 45 ölüm oranına sahip Bundibugyo varyantı nedeniyle şimdiye kadar 3 bin 360 doğrulanmış vaka kaydedildi. Salgın, ülkenin doğusundaki beş eyalete yayılmış durumda. ÖNCEKİ 16 SALGINI GERİDE BIRAKTI Kongolu yetkililerin 15 Mayıs'ta salgın ilan etmesinin ardından virüs, ülkede daha önce görülen 16 Ebola salgınının tamamından daha hızlı yayılmaya başladı. Can kaybı sayısı giderek artarken, rakamlar ülkenin 2018-2020 yılları arasında 2 bin 287 kişinin yaşamını yitirdiği en büyük Ebola salgınına yaklaşmaya başladı. DSÖ'DEN KRİTİK UYARI DSÖ Genel Direktörü Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, salgının yayılma hızına dikkat çekerek, "Kaydettiğimiz ilerlemeye rağmen Demokratik Kongo Cumhuriyeti'ndeki salgın, müdahale hızımızı geride bırakmayı sürdürüyor." ifadelerini kullandı. Tedros, özellikle Ituri eyaletindeki yoğun bulaşın en büyük endişe kaynağı olduğunu vurguladı. SAĞLIK HİZMETLERİNE ULAŞAMIYORLAR Salgından en ağır etkilenen bölgelerden Ituri'de yaşayan dört çocuk annesi Deborah Nzuva, bölgede yaşamın durma noktasına geldiğini belirterek, salgının her geçen gün daha fazla can aldığını söyledi. Demokratik Kongo Cumhuriyeti Ulusal Halk Sağlığı Enstitüsü'nde Ebola ile mücadeleyi yöneten Prof. Pierre Akilimali ise salgının kontrol altına alınmasını zorlaştıran en önemli nedenlerin güvenlik sorunları, madencilik faaliyetleri ve yüksek nüfus yoğunluğu olduğunu ifade etti. Yetkililer, hayatını kaybedenlerin yaklaşık üçte ikisinin sağlık kuruluşuna hiç ulaşamayan kişiler olduğunu belirtti. Tedaviye erişilememesi ve enfekte kişilerin cenazelerine gerekli koruyucu önlemler alınmadan temas edilmesi, virüsün yayılmasını daha da hızlandırıyor. HENÜZ ONAYLANMIŞ BİR AŞI BULUNMUYOR Uzmanlar, mevcut salgına neden olan Bundibugyo varyantına karşı henüz onaylanmış bir aşı bulunmadığını açıkladı. Temmuz ayında başlatılan aşı denemelerinin yaklaşık dört ay sürmesinin beklendiği belirtilirken, bilim insanları ölümcül salgını durdurabilecek etkili bir çözüm geliştirmek için çalışmalarını sürdürüyor. Bu süreçte sağlık otoriteleri ise vaka sayısının daha da artmaması için uluslararası desteğin hızlandırılması çağrısında bulunuyor.
1500'ü aşkın can kaybına yol açan salgın hızla yayılıyorToespraak van de vicepremier en minister van Buitenlandse Zaken, Europese Zaken en Ontwikkelingssamenwerking
Speech by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation lien.horemans Tue, 07/28/2026 - 13:17 Speech 21 July Diplomatic map July 28, 2026 Messieurs les Présidents de la Chambre et du Sénat, Mesdames et Messieurs les Ministres Présidents, Mesdames et Messieurs les Ministres, Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs les Ambassadeurs et Ambassadrices, Mesdames et Messieurs les Présidents des Parlements régionaux et communautaires, Mesdames et Messieurs les Présidents des Cours, Mesdames et Messieurs les députés, Dames en Heren, Beste vrienden, Ladies and gentlemen, Dear friends, Welcome to the Hall of Mirrors. This room lies at the heart of the Egmont Palace. It has seen a great deal of Belgian and European history. For centuries, people came here to talk, to disagree, and, in the end, to reach agreement. Well … if you except the former lord of this palace, the Count of Egmont, who has been decapitated in fifteen hundred sixty-eight (1568), of course. Anyway, we stand in the middle of Brussels, one of the great meeting points of diplomacy worldwide. And if these mirrors could speak, they would tell you one simple thing. The talks that mattered most in this room were almost never the easy ones. One hundred and ninety-five (195) years ago, King Leopold the First took his oath. He was the first King of a country that had been born just one year before, in eighteen hundred thirty (1830), against the will of the great powers of the time. That is where our story begins. And that beginning still shapes who we are. For centuries, the regions of this country were known across Europe for their skill, their trade and their industry. And because they were rich, they were often wanted by stronger neighbours. A small country that is wealthy and exposed learns one lesson early. Its safety rests on more than its own strength. It rests on its word. And it rests on a simple habit : to keep talking, even when it is hard. That is why diplomacy has always stood at the center of how Belgium meets the world. And trade, in particular. Our exports are worth 85% of everything we produce. A country like ours cannot close its doors. We live from our relations with others. Belgium has always believed the same thing. The world works better when countries agree on rules, and then keep them. Rules that protect the small as much as the large. We still hold on to that belief today, even when it is put to the test. Ladies and gentlemen, these are hard times. The things we once took for granted are fading. The world is more divided, and harder to read. And yet one thing is clear. Look at the challenges in front of us. War. Climate change. Migration. Crime that crosses every border. Energy. Food. Not one of them stops at a frontier. And not one of them can be solved by a single country, on its own. So over the past eighteen months, I have made a clear choice. I have worked to widen the circle of countries that Belgium speaks with. Far beyond our old friends and our closest partners. And I plan to keep going. Like the last reform of the Foreign Ministry, Rethink HQ, has also shown. Because, if some of those talks are comfortable, many are not. I have sat across the table from governments we disagree with, at times deeply. And I have come to believe something. These are exactly the talks a country like ours cannot walk away from. A diplomacy that speaks only to friends is hardly diplomacy at all. Its real work is to keep the door open. Because it is through that open door that understanding can still pass. And one day, perhaps, peace. Let me be clear about one thing. Belgium will always stand up for its values. It will defend its interests. And it will defend the rules that protect us all. At the same time, we do the slow and patient work. We look for the small piece of common ground, however narrow it may be. And we build something solid on it. That is what I mean by the power of realism. This patient work stands on one thing that cannot be faked. Others have to know that they can count on you. Trust takes years to build. It can be lost in a single moment. Keeping our word, year after year. That is one of Belgium's true strengths. Dear Ambassadors, you know this better than anyone in this room. When Belgium gives its word, that word holds. In a time of doubt, that counts for a great deal. It is what keeps us welcome at every table. Including the difficult ones. Now, more than ever, the world needs patience. It needs countries that are ready to listen, without giving up what they believe. Countries that stay in the room when others walk out. Countries that are steady, year after year, whoever they are speaking to. That is the country Belgium wants to be. And that is the country I work for, every single day. So let me end where I began. In this room, in front of these mirrors. For generations, they have reflected men and women who chose to sit down together, when it would have been far easier to walk away. Today, they reflect all of you. And that is a fair picture of what Belgium hopes to be in the world. Present. Steady. And always ready to keep the conversation going. And now, I would ask you to raise your glass with me. To you, To Belgium, To the King! Keep up-to-date Subscribe to our newsletters to stay informed about the activities of our FPS Our spokespersons David Jordens david.jordens@diplobel.fed.be Florinda Baleci florinda.baleci@diplobel.fed.be Pierre Steverlynck pierre.steverlynck@diplobel.fed.be Social Media Hide all social media Show all social media
Belçika Dışişleri Bakanı Ulusal Gün'de Dış Politika Vizyonunu AçıkladıIran's Gulf islands: targets in latest fight over Hormuz
A US missile struck the Iranian island of Larak on Wednesday, the Tasnim news agency reported, in the latest attack to target the Islamic republic’s islands in and around the Strait of Hormuz. The islands have been hit multiple times as the two sides fight over the strategic waterway, which Iran has sealed following the collapse of a preliminary deal aimed at ending the war. Here AFP looks at the significance of the Iranian islands in the strait and the nearby Gulf: Larak This small island occupies a particularly strategic position at the narrowest point of the Strait of Hormuz, the key shipping route that Iran has choked shut. A site for Iranian oil exports since 1987, it also hosts a military base. It came to prominence recently as “Tehran’s tollbooth” — a stopping-off point for the handful of vessels that Iran approved to exit or enter the Gulf during its initial blockade earlier in the war. Ships that used this route had to pay a substantial fee, according to maritime data company Lloyd’s List Intelligence, which came up with the nickname. The US vehemently opposes Iran’s plans to charge tolls in the Hormuz. Kharg A strip of scrubland located in the northern Gulf, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the coast, Kharg is home to Iran’s largest oil terminal, which accounts for around 90 per cent of its crude exports, according to a recent note from the American bank JP Morgan. In mid-March it was targeted by US airstrikes. US President Donald Trump described it as a “crown jewel” for Iran and maintained that every military target on the island had been “totally obliterated”, but energy infrastructure was left unharmed. Kharg experienced major development during Iran’s oil boom in the 1960s and 1970s because much of the coastline on the mainland was too shallow to accommodate supertankers. Tehran has since looked to diversify its export capabilities, including by opening the Jask terminal on its southwestern coast in the Gulf of Oman in 2021, but Kharg remains “a critical vulnerability” for Iran, JP Morgan said, calling it “a cornerstone of Iran’s economy”. The White House had previously hinted it was considering seizing the island, but expert Farzin Nadimi of the Washington Institute think tank said such a military operation would be “very difficult” on an island almost entirely covered with oil infrastructure. Qeshm The largest island in the Gulf, Qeshm stretches for around 100 kilometres across the Strait of Hormuz, dominating the entrance to the Gulf. It is a popular tourist destination for Iranians thanks to its rare Unesco-listed rock formations, turquoise waters, mangroves and relaxed atmosphere. “Qeshm used to be a very poor island, and it’s only in the past few years, thanks to tourism, that the economy here has started to come alive,” a resident there told AFP in a recent interview. But it is also heavily militarised, analysts say, including strike capabilities that could be used against shipping in the Gulf or invading US troops. The US struck the island as recently as last week, according to Iranian state media. Disputed islands Iran claims three disputed islets — Lesser Tunb, Greater Tunb and Abu Musa — in the middle of the Gulf, which are also claimed by the United Arab Emirates. Along with another islet, Siri, “these islands have been fortified, turned into mini-fortresses with anti-ship missiles”, Pierre Razoux from the France-based Mediterranean Foundation for Strategic Studies told AFP. Tehran has stationed contingents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ naval forces there, which in 2025 deployed new missile systems capable of targeting nearby “enemy bases, ships and equipment”, Iranian media reported at the time.
ABD Füzesi İran’ın Larak Adasını Vurdu, Hürmüz’de Gerilim Tırmanıyor2 mln visit restored Selimiye Mosque
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