❗️EXCLUSIVE❗️What will Iran's foreign policy be under the new President Pezeshkian?

Masoud Pezeshkian, the newly elected president of Iran, spoke to Sputnik on the eve of the election about the main priorities of Iran’s foreign policy: strengthening relations with Russia and China, Iran’s active presence in BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, restoration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the lifting of sanctions.

🔸“Russia is a friend and partner of Iran, and I consider it a priority to deepen and expand relations with Russia and China, as well as intensify foreign policy activities in the Asian direction in general. And we, of course, at all levels – bilateral, regional and international – will continue our efforts to expand interaction with the Russian Federation.”

🔸“Iran opposes the policy of unidirectionality and is a supporter of the principle of multipolarity. In addition, one of the priorities of my foreign policy program is regional cooperation, and for this purpose, Iran will expand its presence in BRICS and the SCO, as well as strive for more active cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union to more fully realize the potential of trade and economic relations with the member countries of these organizations."

🔸“The JCPOA is an international agreement approved by the UN. The American withdrawal from this agreement was unilateral, and this caused serious damage to Iran and the Iranian people. As the Russian side has repeatedly emphasized, Iran has fulfilled its obligations, and we see our task as returning the other participants to this agreement as soon as possible and achieving the lifting of sanctions. I am confident that the friendly governments of Russia and China will support Iran and assist it in resolving this issue.”

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🇷🇺🇮🇷 Russia and Iran have completed the merger of the Mir and Shetab payment systems, said the head of the Central Bank of Iran.

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🇭🇺 Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, who recently visited Kiev and Moscow, announced his intention to hold several “equally unexpected” meetings next week.

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'Kill-crazy' foreign mercs in Ukraine bragged about executing Russian PoWs – report

Foreign mercenaries fighting on the side of the Kiev regime reveled in executing Russian prisoners, the New York Times has reported.

The killings are believed to have been carried out by members of the so-called “Chosen company” incorporated with Ukraine’s Armed Forces. One incident from August 2023 was described to the outlet by a witness, the unit’s medic, a German called Caspar Grosse.

Grosse said that a wounded and unarmed Russian soldier seeking medical help from his foreign captors was shot in cold blood. First one mercenary shot the Russian in the torso, and then, as he slumped still breathing, another soldier “just shot him in the head,” Grosse recalled.

In another episode, a Chosen company fighter “threw a grenade at a surrendering Russian soldier who had raised his hands, killing him,” the outlet stated, referencing reviewed drone footage. It was added that the Ukrainian military had published a video of this episode but edited out the surrender moment.

Militants from the company of foreign hirelings and thrill-seekers reportedly talked freely about the murders of prisoners of war in group chats.

At the center of all these three incidents was reportedly a Greek mercenary with callsign Zeus who bragged “a thousand times” about killing the surrendering Russian, claimed Grosse.

Around 3,100 mercenaries continue to fight for the Kiev regime, the head of the Russian Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin said in April. Moscow has stressed that regardless of their status, military officials or mercenaries “represent a legitimate target for our armed forces."

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🇭🇺 Hungarian PM Viktor Orban spoke about the details of his visit to Moscow:

▪️ He called the search for a solution to the Ukrainian conflict his “Christian duty,” albeit with possible consequences for himself in the West;

▪️ Information about the preparation of the visit to Moscow was kept secret, because “communications means are under total surveillance by the big guys”;

▪️The order to prepare the meeting two days before was “secretly” transferred to the Hungarian Foreign Ministry;

▪️Information was leaked only at the moment when a request was made for the aircraft to fly through Polish space;

▪️The Hungarian PM noted that the visit was dictated by the interests of the world and his country;

▪️At the meeting he directly asked three questions: are peaceful negotiations on the Ukrainian conflict possible; is a ceasefire realistic before they begin; and what could the security architecture of Europe look like;

▪️Orban stated that he received answers to these questions, the conversation lasted about three hours;

▪️The negotiations were not a new experience for him, since he had met with Putin before.

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Russian Air Defenses' performance in numbers

Air Defense Troops of the Russian Ground Forces are a robust combat unit carrying out regular defense duties, reconnaissance of enemy aircraft, elimination of enemy air attacks, and participation in theatres of military actions.

Some of the most notable defense systems include the Triumf mobile surface-to-air missile, Prometey road-mobile air and missile defense system, Tor short-range air defense system, Pantsir surface-to-air missiles, Buk and Vityaz complexes, and Igla man-portable anti-aircraft missile system.

Check out Sputnik’s infographic to learn more!

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🇷🇺✈️ Russian Su-25 attack aircraft crews fired unguided aircraft missiles at a Ukrainian stronghold and troops in the area of responsibility of the Vostok Battlegroup.

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🇲🇱🇳🇪🇧🇫 The presidents of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso signed a charter establishing a confederation

According to a Sputnik correspondent, the presidents of the countries “signed on Saturday in the Niger's capital of Niamey a charter establishing a confederation of the Sahel Alliance, which will include these three countries,” which ceased to participate in the regional organization Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

What you need to know about the new confederation created by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger:

▪️The establishment of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) marks “an additional step towards further integration between the member states” of the AES, according to the final communiqué;

▪️An AES investment bank and a stabilization fund for member countries will be created;

▪️The leaders of the alliance wish to “pool their resources” in strategic sectors such as agriculture, water, energy and transport;

▪️They demand that local languages be used more in public and private media in their countries.

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▪️Foreign mercs in Ukraine bragged about executing Russian PoWs

▪️What will Iran's foreign policy be under the new President Pezeshkian?

▪️Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso established a confederation

▪️Why is the US upping stakes in race for critical metals?

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Handling of Ukraine crisis and distrust of ‘established governments’ lead to ‘lack of confidence' in European leadership

Europe, where political leaders such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron see their ratings plummet, is experiencing a “resurgence of populism” as people have become “very unhappy with the established governments” there, says Professor Joe Siracusa, political scientist and dean of global futures at the Curtin University in Australia.

According to him, many Europeans are unhappy with how their leaders are handling the Ukrainian conflict, as well as with issues such as the supply chain crisis, migration and “cost of living problems.”

“There's what I call a crisis in confidence in Europe. That is, ordinary people no longer have faith in their governments to do the right thing. They have little faith in them,” he explains, adding that “Without the resolution of the Ukraine crisis and without Russia returning to its European role we're going to have more of this - a lack of confidence in the leadership.”

Meanwhile, geopolitical analyst Come Carpentier de Gourdon argues that only those European leaders like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban or Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, “who show some strength and relative independence of views,” enjoy “more popular support at home” as compared to politicians regarded as “weak figureheads controlled by the EU bureaucracy and the US through NATO.”

“In domestic fiscal and financial policies, most EU leaders are seen to implement measures and programmes dictated from above and often not in the interest of the respective countries or of Europe as a whole,” he notes.

Each European country now appears to be “following a different path,” de Gourdon suggests, pointing out that this course “can only weaken the unpopular EU.”

“In any event, the EU may not survive in its present form and NATO will also have to change its approach and goals,” the analyst adds.

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The Russian Investigative Committee will look into information in the media about Ukrainian militants committing a crime against a wounded Russian prisoner of war, the committee said in a statement.

The report has earlier been published by The New York Times.

"Investigators of the Investigative Committee of Russia will investigate another crime of Ukraine's armed formations ... In addition, the media is spreading information about the crime against a wounded Russian prisoner of war, who was shot in the head. Investigators of the Investigative Committee of Russia will establish in detail the circumstances of what happened and what was voiced in the public space, the actions of all those involved will be assessed under criminal law," the committee said on Telegram.

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A pro-Palestinian demonstration marched through the city streets of Italy’s Turin, carrying Palestinian flags, media reported.

The protesters poured paint on the "Infantryman of Italy" monument (the infantryman is the most common figure for monuments meant to depict a soldier engaged in war).

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