International
Russia and Iran will sign a strategic agreement three days before Trump’s inauguration
Russia and Iran will sign a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement on Friday in the Kremlin, which will include defense cooperation, three days before the investiture of US President Donald Trump.
Russian presidential spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, said that Moscow attaches “great importance” to the signing of the agreement during the first visit to this country of Iranian leader Masud Pezeshkian.
Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin have met twice in recent months, the last time last October in Kazan during the BRICS summit, to prepare the document.
Relations between Russia and Iran have strengthened in recent years, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine, where Moscow has the support of Tehran, which would have supplied drones and even missiles to the Russian side, according to the West.
Russians and Iranians are the great losers of the fall of the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Asad, who went into exile last December in Moscow.
With the background of the mutual assistance clause in case of external aggression signed between Russia and North Korea, on the eve of the visit there was speculation about the possibility that Moscow and Tehran seal a similar agreement.
In view of the antagonism between Iran and Russia on the one hand and Israel and the United States on the other, this would put Moscow in a very delicate situation, when the war in Ukraine has not even ended yet.
Both Foreign Ministers, the Russian Sergei Lavrov and the Iranian Abbas Araqchi, admitted that the 47 points of the agreement will include aspects of defense and security, but denied that it is directed against Washington.
“This agreement, like the one we have with North Korea, is not directed against any other country and has a constructive character,” Lavrov said at a press conference.
He stressed that the document “is aimed at strengthening the capacity of Russia and Iran in various parts of the world (…) and guaranteeing a reliable defense potential.”
Meanwhile, his Iranian colleague stressed that the document is not a threat to anyone and only represents “a strengthening of common security”.
“One of the main aspects of the agreement is the strengthening of cooperation on security and defence. Iran and Russia have invaluable experience in the fight against terrorism and extremism,” he said.
And he added that this cooperation is aimed at strengthening regional and global stability, and “responds not only to the interests of both countries, but to the interests of peace throughout the world.”
The signing of the agreement will take place on the eve of the arrival at the White House of Donald Trump, who has Tehran in his sights for his second presidential term.
“The numerous speculations about the choice of the date for the signing of the agreement between Iran and Russia on the eve of Trump’s coming to power only provoke a smile. Have fun the supporters of the conspiracy theory!” said Peskov.
He added that this ceremony “has no influence on the essence of the comprehensive Russian-Iranian agreement.”
In an attempt to reduce tension, Pezeshkian also assured the NBC television channel that his country never tried to assassinate the elected president during the election campaign.
Politicians from both countries commented in recent days that the agreement will facilitate the fight against sanctions and even encouraged other countries to enter a global coalition against the unilateral impositions of the West.
In this regard, Araqchí stressed that it is not “a simple political document, but a roadmap for the future.”
“This is more than an agreement, it is a step towards the creation of a more just and balanced world. Iran and Russia, aware of their historical responsibility, build a new order in which cooperation replaces hegemony and respect for imposition,” he said in an article published by the official agency RIA Novosti.
Last November, Tehran and Moscow connected their banking systems to boost their trade and financial transactions, in a step to address US and European Union sanctions.
Iran has also advocated that the document paves the way for a deepening of energy cooperation, which would include the transfer of technology and the transit of Russian gas to Middle East countries.
International
Marco Rubio warns Venezuela against military action against Guyana
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Venezuela on Thursday that a military attack on Guyana would be “a big mistake” and “a very bad day for them,” expressing his support for Georgetown in its territorial dispute with Caracas.
“It would be a very bad day for the Venezuelan regime if they attacked Guyana or ExxonMobil. It would be a very bad day, a very bad week for them, and it would not end well,” Rubio emphasized during a press conference in Georgetown alongside Guyanese President Irfaan Ali.
International
Ecuador oil spill worsens as containment dam collapses
The collapse of a containment dam holding back part of the 25,000+ barrels of oil spilled from a pipeline rupture nearly two weeks ago has worsened the environmental crisis in northwestern Ecuador, contaminating rivers and Pacific beaches.
The Ecuadorian government attributed the March 13 pipeline rupture—which led to the spill of 25,116 barrels of crude—to an act of sabotage. The spill affected three rivers and disrupted water supplies for several communities, according to authorities.
On Tuesday, due to heavy rains that have been falling since January, a containment dam on the Caple River collapsed. The Caple connects to other waterways in Esmeraldas Province, a coastal region bordering Colombia, state-owned Petroecuador said in a statement on Wednesday.
Seven containment barriers were installed in the Viche River, where crews worked to remove oil-contaminated debris. Additional absorbent materials were deployed in Caple, Viche, and Esmeraldas Rivers, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.
Authorities are also working to protect a wildlife refuge home to more than 250 species, including otters, howler monkeys, armadillos, frigatebirds, and pelicans.
“This has been a total disaster,” said Ronald Ruiz, a leader in the Cube community, where the dam was located. He explained that the harsh winter rains caused river levels to rise, bringing debris that broke the containment barriersthat were holding the accumulated oil for extraction.
International
Federal court blocks Trump’s use of Enemy Alien Act for deportations
A federal appeals court upheld the block on former President Donald Trump’s use of the Enemy Alien Act on Wednesday, preventing him from using the law to expedite deportations of alleged members of the transnational criminal group Tren de Aragua.
With a 2-1 ruling, a panel from the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals affirmed previous decisions by two lower court judges, maintaining the legal standoff between the White House and the judiciary.
On March 14, Trump invoked the 1798 Enemy Alien Act, a law traditionally used during wartime, to deport hundreds of Venezuelans whom he accused of belonging to Tren de Aragua, a criminal organization that originated in Venezuelan prisons.
The centuries-old law grants the president the power to detain, restrict, and expel foreign nationals from a country engaged in a “declared war” or an “invasion or predatory incursion” against the United States, following a public proclamation.
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