International

The US announces new sanctions against Iran for the attack on Israel

U.S. President Joe Biden announced new sanctions against Iran, directed against its Revolutionary Guard and the Ministry of Defense, for the attack on Israel.

Through a statement signed by the spokesman of the State Department, Matthew Miller, the US Government explained that it is also targeting the unmanned aerial vehicle program, the steel industry and the automobile companies of Iran.

“In response to Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel, the United States is taking radical measures against several actors involved in Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicle program, suppliers and customers of one of Iran’s largest steel producers and Iranian automotive companies with connections to the United States,” the statement said.

The designated entities are the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Ministry of Defense and Logistics of the Armed Forces (MODAFL).

In total, the Treasury Department imposes sanctions on 16 people and two entities that allow the production and testing of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as the proliferation of actors working on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, its unmanned aerial production division, Kimia Part Sivan Company, and other Iranian manufacturers of unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicle engines.

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The Treasury also sanctions five companies that supply component materials for steel production to the Khuzestan Steel Company (KSC) of Iran, an entity sanctioned by the United States, or that buy finished steel products from the KSC.

In addition, the Treasury sanctions the Iranian car manufacturer Bahman Group and three of its subsidiaries, which have continued to materially support the IRGC and other sanctioned entities.

Finally, the Department of Commerce imposes new controls to restrict Iran’s access to technologies such as basic commercial-grade microelectronics.

“We will continue to work with our allies and partners to use the full range of tools at our disposal to address income flows and disrupt the networks that support Iran’s reckless proliferation of weapons that destabilize the Middle East and beyond,” Miller said.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said last Tuesday that the United States and its partners were coordinating a new round of sanctions against Iran for the attack on Israel, the first launched by Tehran directly against Israeli territory.

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Several countries had previously designated the Revolutionary Guard, a branch of the Armed Forces of Iran created after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, as a terrorist group.

In 2019, the United States included the Revolutionary Guard on the blacklist of terrorist groups, while the Government of Canada already said in January of this year that it was studying ways to include the Revolutionary Guard on its list of terrorist organizations.

International

IEA warns Middle East conflict could spark worst energy crisis in decades

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East could trigger the worst energy crisis in decades, warned Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), who described the situation as “very serious.”

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra, Birol compared the current scenario to the oil crises of the 1970s, noting that during those events the world lost around five million barrels of oil per day in each crisis.

“Today, we have lost 11 million barrels per day—more than the two major oil shocks combined,” he said.

The Turkish economist referred to the conflict that began on February 28, following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, which have significantly disrupted global energy markets and driven oil prices higher.

Birol warned that the global economy is facing a “very, very serious threat” and expressed hope that the crisis will be resolved soon.

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“No country will be immune to the effects of this crisis if it continues in this direction. Global efforts are urgently needed,” he emphasized.

International

Colombian Air Force Hercules plane crashes during takeoff with troops onboard

A Lockheed C-130 Hercules operated by the Colombian Air Force was involved in a “tragic accident” while taking off from Puerto Leguízamo, in the Putumayo department of southern Colombia, as it was transporting troops, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez reported on Monday.

The minister stated on social media that the exact number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been determined. He also extended his condolences to the families affected and urged the public to avoid speculation until official information is confirmed.

“This is a deeply painful event for the country. Our prayers are with the victims and their families,” Sánchez said, adding that emergency protocols have been activated and an investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, President Gustavo Petro expressed hope that there would be no fatalities in what he described as a “horrific accident that should not have happened.”

Petro also highlighted ongoing efforts to modernize the country’s air fleet and reiterated the need to acquire new helicopters and transport aircraft to strengthen military mobility, particularly in remote regions.

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According to local media reports, approximately 110 soldiers were on board the aircraft. So far, at least 20 injured military personnel have been rescued.

International

Paris prosecutors alert U.S. over alleged deepfake strategy linked to Elon Musk

The Paris Prosecutor’s Office said on Saturday that it had alerted authorities in the United States over suspicions that tech entrepreneur Elon Musk may have encouraged the spread of sexualized deepfake content on the social platform X to artificially boost the company’s valuation.

According to prosecutors, the controversy surrounding explicit AI-generated videos—reportedly linked to Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence system—may have been deliberately triggered to increase the market value of X and X AI.

The office added that the alleged strategy could be tied to the planned June 2026 public listing of a new entity formed through the merger of SpaceX and X AI.

French authorities said they contacted the U.S. Department of Justice as well as legal representatives at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) earlier this week to share their concerns.

Responding on X in French to a report about the case, Musk referred to French prosecutors using an offensive term.

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When contacted, X’s legal representative in France did not immediately comment.

Grok, the platform’s AI system, has its own account on X, allowing users to interact with it or request content generation. For a period, users were able to tag the bot in posts to generate or edit images, a feature that may have facilitated the spread of such material.