News in Brief
Russia learning ...
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“You see the Russians beginning to pick up on some of the tactics perfected by the Iranians, as well as continue to deepen their political, economic, and security ties with Tehran,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a security expert. “Iran has a masterclass in sanctions-busting, helping to teach the Russian Federation at the moment.”
Iran’s largest source of revenue is from oil exports. Since the US re-imposed economic sanctions, Iran’s output has hit a new high despite the additional pressure. “While these sanctions remain on the books, the problem here is that they’re not being actively enforced. This lack of active enforcement, coupled with a very public desire for diplomacy and de-escalation with Iran, is encouraging more risk-tolerant actors to buy more Iranian oil,” Taleblu said. “Iran continues to thumb its nose at US sanctions,” US Congressman Mike Lawler said.
Portuguese parl. recognizes Palestinian Nakba Day
PRESS TV – The Portuguese parliament has overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution recognizing Nakba Day or “Day of Catastrophe,” when Israel was created at the expense of the forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homeland.
At the same time, the Portuguese resolution condemned the Israeli regime’s expansionist and annexation policies, emphasizing the practices are in blatant violation of international laws.
North Korea fires cruise missiles:
S Korean military
REUTERS – North Korea fired several cruise missiles toward the sea to the west of the Korean Peninsula, the South Korean military said on Saturday. This would be North Korea’s latest missile launch since it fired two ballistic missiles on Wednesday, as Pyongyang and Washington step up displays of military force in a standoff over the country’s nuclear weapons and missile programs.
A number of cruise missiles launched since around 4 a.m. Saturday local time were detected, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.