United News of Bangladesh

The US military said Tuesday it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers after Iran targeted US Navy warships with ballistic missiles, while Tehran launched missiles at American targets in Jordan in the latest escalation in the more than six-month-old war. Iranian state media reported that missiles were fired toward US targets in Jordan following the US strikes. Jordan's military said its air defenses intercepted 18 ballistic missiles and that two others landed in uninhabited areas, with no casualties reported. The latest exchanges came as President Donald Trump pursued a combined military and economic strategy aimed at pressuring Iran to end the war. The US administration also announced sanctions against more than two dozen Iranian commercial and private airlines and foreign cargo service providers as part of efforts to further isolate Tehran. The United States and Iran are also locked in a confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil passed before the war. The conflict has pushed up energy prices, with Brent crude briefly reaching $99.46 a barrel on Tuesday. US forces destroyed three Iranian oil tankers Saturday after Iran's Revolutionary Guard attempted to strike a US aircraft carrier and destroyer with ballistic missiles. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would continue responding to attacks on its naval forces. “For every time they do that or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers,” Rubio told reporters during a visit to Colombia. US Central Command said Tuesday's strikes came after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted a US Navy warship twice over the previous two days. The warship evaded the attacks and continued patrolling regional waters, and no US personnel were injured, it said. The five tankers destroyed Tuesday were identified as the Kivik, Charminar, Horizon 1 and Riesco in the Gulf of Oman, and the Derya near Iran's Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz. The crews were warned to abandon the vessels before the strikes, according to Central Command. Iranian state television also reported attacks on oil tankers near the southern port of Jask and Kharg Island, saying their crews had been evacuated. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Navy meanwhile warned crews of oil tankers near Kuwait and Bahrain to leave their vessels, saying the ships could be targeted in retaliation. It accused the two Gulf countries of hosting US forces and supporting American attacks. The US blockade of Iranian ports has further squeezed Tehran's economy by restricting oil exports, while US forces have been assisting a limited number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz along a route near Oman. Iran has sought to impose its own designated route for ships passing through the strait, which had been regarded as international waters before the war. Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, warned that continued military exchanges could trigger further retaliation and deepen the economic impact of the conflict. “There is no kinetic solution to the Strait of Hormuz problem,” he said, warning that attempts to resolve the dispute militarily could push Washington and Tehran toward an escalation that becomes increasingly difficult to control.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that talks with U.S. envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were "very substantive." The two sides discussed resuming negotiations on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, security and economic guarantees for Ukraine, and a winter support package, Zelensky told reporters at a briefing following the talks. "We are very much counting on both air defense and energy support, and we are counting on a serious volume and possibilities of using American LNG," Zelensky said. Representatives from European countries including Britain, France and Germany joined their discussions at the third round, Zelensky said, adding the three sides had agreed to meet in the future to continue negotiations. He also stressed that efforts were underway to revive trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia aimed at ending the conflict. For his part, Witkoff told reporters that the two U.S. peace envoys had made "significant progress" in Moscow and hoped that trilateral talks would be announced soon. Witkoff and Kushner travelled to Kiev earlier Sunday for their first visit to Ukraine after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Delegations from Ukraine, the United States and Russia previously held two rounds of talks in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23-24 and Feb. 4-5, followed by another round in Geneva on Feb. 17-18, in an effort to find a path toward ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The trilateral negotiations subsequently stalled and have remained suspended.     

US forces struck three Iranian oil tankers after Iranian forces allegedly targeted American Navy vessels with ballistic missiles, marking a fresh escalation in the months-long conflict, the US military said Saturday. The US military said an aircraft carrier and a destroyer came under multiple “unprovoked Iranian attacks” while operating in the region, but no American personnel were injured. According to the US statement, two Iranian oil tankers were permanently disabled and a third, which was carrying no cargo, was destroyed. The military said the vessels were part of a shadow shipping network that helps finance Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its regional allies. US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper warned that Washington would defend its forces and, if necessary, destroy Iran's “limited and exposed oil fleet.” Iran's state broadcaster later reported that Iranian forces had targeted three oil tankers and three US vessels in retaliation for the American strikes. The report could not immediately be independently verified. An Iranian military command spokesperson warned that attacks on US warships would become more severe if Washington continued interfering with Iranian shipping. The US said one tanker was hit near Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil-export terminal, another near Jask east of the Strait of Hormuz, and the third in the Gulf of Oman. The crew of the empty tanker was ordered to abandon the vessel. Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks as a war crime and warned that Washington and its allies would bear responsibility for the consequences of continued US aggression, including what Tehran described as economic warfare. The latest strikes came nearly a week after the United States and Iran resumed hostilities following a month-long lull. Fighting has again centered on the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global oil and gas shipments. The conflict began on Feb. 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Months of intermittent fighting have inflicted military and economic damage on both sides, while diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have collapsed. The latest escalation also follows renewed attacks in southern Iran, where a US strike earlier this week killed at least five people. One attack hit a wedding gathering, according to local accounts. The Trump administration has pursued a combination of military action and economic pressure against Tehran. US Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that there was no prospect of renewed negotiations while Iran continued attacking ships, although he noted that major military operations had ended in July. Iran, meanwhile, has continued exporting oil despite US sanctions and a blockade, relying partly on a shadow fleet of vessels to transport crude to international buyers. The country's nuclear programme remains a major source of tension. Negotiations intended to address the issue collapsed after the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in June. The United States, Britain, France and Germany are now seeking to refer Iran to the UN Security Council over alleged failures to meet its nuclear nonproliferation obligations. With diplomacy stalled, Tehran has increasingly used control over the Strait of Hormuz as leverage. US forces have been helping commercial vessels navigate the waterway, although shipping traffic remains significantly below normal levels.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Saturday as Washington renewed efforts to broker an end to the war in Ukraine. The closed-door meeting ended without any immediate announcement of a breakthrough. Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov later described the talks as constructive, frank and useful, but did not disclose specific outcomes. Witkoff and Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, are scheduled to travel to Kyiv on Sunday for talks with Ukrainian officials. It will be their first visit to the Ukrainian capital as part of the current peace process. The meeting took place amid an escalation in Russian and Ukrainian aerial attacks. Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to temporarily suspend strikes on each other's capitals while the US delegation conducted its talks. At the start of the Kremlin meeting, Putin asked the US envoys to convey his greetings and gratitude to Trump, while acknowledging that the situation surrounding Ukraine remained difficult. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had ordered a three-day halt to strikes on Kyiv beginning at midnight Saturday. Zelenskyy separately said Ukraine was prepared to refrain from attacking Moscow through Monday and expected Russia to reciprocate. Ushakov said Moscow provided the US delegation with a detailed assessment of the battlefield situation in Ukraine. He added that the discussions also covered economic issues and possible large-scale projects that could benefit both Russia and the United States. The latest talks come after the US-led peace process lost momentum amid Washington's focus on the war involving Iran over the past six months. Witkoff and Kushner last visited Moscow in January, when they also met Putin. Meanwhile, fighting has continued along the roughly 1,250-kilometre front line, with both sides stepping up long-range attacks. Zelenskyy said Russia carried out overnight strikes on Kyiv and Boryspil international airports, suggesting the attacks were linked to preparations for the US delegation's planned trip to Ukraine. “Clearly, these Russian strikes on the airports are a reaction to the discussions and preparations for the possibility of the US side using an aircraft to travel to Ukraine,” he said in a social media post. The latest Russian attacks also caused civilian casualties in several parts of Ukraine. In the southern Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian strikes killed five workers and wounded others at an industrial facility, according to regional officials. Separate attacks in the region's Nikopol district and around Dnipro also killed one person and injured several others while damaging residential and commercial buildings. In the eastern Kharkiv region, a Russian drone struck a house in Chuhuiv, killing three people, including an 11-year-old boy, and injuring a woman, regional officials said. Two people were also killed and another wounded in a Russian drone attack in the Bucha district of the Kyiv region. Officials said dozens of facilities across five districts were damaged, including homes, warehouses, railway infrastructure and vehicles. In the southern Mykolaiv region, Russian drones repeatedly struck a shopping center, damaging shops and triggering fires. A 72-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl were wounded, according to Ukraine's emergency services. Ukraine's air force said Russia launched ballistic missiles and 167 attack drones overnight, including Shahed-type drones, many of them jet-powered. Ukrainian air defenses said they shot down or otherwise neutralised 128 drones. Ukraine also continued attacks inside Russia. Authorities in Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, said two people were killed and three wounded in Ukrainian attacks on Saturday. Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces had intercepted 53 Ukrainian drones overnight. Despite the renewed diplomatic push, the continued attacks underscore the difficulty of securing a lasting ceasefire, with both sides still seeking military and political leverage on the battlefield.

US President Donald Trump has announced what he called the “biggest oil deal in world history” involving Venezuela’s vast crude reserves, but many details of the agreement, including investment plans and the identity of a private operator, remain unclear. The White House has released little information beyond Trump’s social media announcement Friday night. No full text of the agreement has been made public. Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez described the deal as an important step toward reviving and modernising the country’s oil industry. She said it would help generate jobs, improve wages and expand access to essential public services. According to Rodríguez, the agreement covers the development of 17 oil fields with a proven potential of about 65 billion barrels. It could attract roughly $100 billion in investment and generate more than $209 billion in tax revenue for Venezuela. Under the arrangement, the US government and an unnamed private operator have established a new company with rights to develop previously untapped oil fields for 100 years. A US official, speaking anonymously because the details have not been publicly released, said the United States would receive an effective 55% share of the company’s output through an ownership stake and rights to purchase oil at cost. Some of the oil bought by the United States would be directed to the country’s strategic petroleum reserves and the military, the official said. The new company could become the second-largest corporate holder of proven oil reserves after Saudi Aramco. Trump has said the deal will eventually help lower gasoline prices in the United States. However, energy experts cautioned that Venezuela’s ageing and damaged oil infrastructure would require years and billions of dollars in investment before production could rise significantly. Amy Myers Jaffe, an energy expert at New York University, said the agreement could be beneficial in the long term but would not have an immediate impact on US gasoline prices. The average US gasoline price was around $4.08 per gallon Saturday, compared with $3.20 a year earlier, according to AAA. Kevin Book of ClearView Energy Partners said Venezuela has substantial scope to increase production, noting that its output had previously been more than 2.5 million barrels per day higher than current levels. But he said deploying the necessary capital and increasing production would take years. The agreement has also sparked criticism inside Venezuela. Some citizens view it as a reversal of the longstanding position that the country’s natural resources should remain under Venezuelan control. At a market in eastern Caracas, resident Douglas Borjas criticised the deal, saying Venezuela’s resources should benefit its people rather than political elites. Harvard professor and former Venezuelan planning minister Ricardo Hausmann also denounced the agreement, questioning the legitimacy of Rodríguez’s government to make such a long-term commitment. The deal has drawn mixed reactions in Washington. Trump allies praised it as a major economic and strategic achievement, while Democratic lawmakers accused the administration of pursuing Venezuelan oil at the expense of US national interests. Sen. Tim Kaine called the agreement “corruption at epic scale,” while Sen. Chris Van Hollen accused Trump of putting US service members at risk to secure Venezuelan oil. Several key questions remain unanswered, including who will finance the massive infrastructure investment, which private company will operate the new venture and exactly how the US 55% effective share will be divided between ownership and oil purchases. Chevron, the only US oil company currently producing in Venezuela, declined to comment. Exxon Mobil also declined to comment. Analysts also warned that political uncertainty, security concerns and Venezuela’s deteriorated oil infrastructure could make it difficult to attract major US energy companies, even if legal protections are provided.

Bangladesh and the United States (US) on Wednesday emphasised the importance of further strengthening bilateral economic relations by deepening communication and partnerships between the business communities of the two countries. A high-level US business delegation led by US-Bangladesh Business Council President Atul Keshap paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir at the Prime Minister’s Office and discussed the issues of mutual interest. During the meeting, they held detailed discussions on further strengthening bilateral trade and investment relations between Bangladesh and the United States, as well as expanding mutual economic cooperation and investment opportunities in Bangladesh. Adviser Kobir welcomed the delegation and said Bangladesh-US relations are long-standing and multidimensional. He said economic cooperation, including trade and investment, can play an important role in further strengthening the bilateral relationship. Highlighting existing opportunities and potential sectors for US investors in Bangladesh, Kobir said the government is committed to ensuring a business- and investment-friendly environment. He said Bangladesh is currently going through a crucial phase of economic transformation, creating new opportunities. The Adviser said, closer partnership with US businesses and investors can make a significant contribution to Bangladesh’s economic growth, job creation, and technology and knowledge exchange. Atul Keshap expressed interest in Bangladesh’s economic potential and investment opportunities, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He emphasised the need to further expand cooperation between the private sectors of Bangladesh and the United States and expressed the council’s interest in taking the business relationship between the two countries to new heights. They exchanged views on increasing trade and investment, cooperation in the industrial and infrastructure sectors, and opportunities for US investment in energy, technology, the digital economy, healthcare and other promising sectors. The business delegation from the United States is currently visiting Bangladesh to explore opportunities in a number of sectors including energy and technology.  

China on Wednesday announced a series of countermeasures against the United States, including tighter controls on drone exports to the US and sanctions on six American entities, in response to recent trade and technology restrictions imposed by Washington. The measures come as tensions persist between the world's two largest economies ahead of an expected visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United States in September, despite recent efforts by both sides to stabilize relations. In a statement, China's Commerce Ministry said the latest actions were prompted by several recent US decisions, including the Federal Communications Commission's restrictions on imports of Chinese drones and Washington's addition of 43 Chinese companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act entity list. Beijing said the US measures undermine the consensus reached by the two countries' leaders and harm China's legitimate interests, adding that it was left with "no choice" but to respond. China said exports of drones, key drone components and related technologies listed as dual-use items with both civilian and military applications will now be subject to case-by-case government review before being approved for shipment to the United States. The Commerce Ministry also barred six US entities, including Applied DNA Sciences Inc. and the rights group Human Rights in China, from conducting trade or other business activities with Chinese organizations. Separately, China prohibited Compliance Testing LLC from operating in the Chinese market, accusing the company of cooperating with the US Federal Communications Commission in ways that harmed China's sovereignty and national security. Chinese authorities also announced a national security review of imported printing software and office equipment, although they did not identify any specific companies involved. Meanwhile, China's State Administration for Market Regulation said US-based firms will no longer be allowed to conduct follow-up factory inspections for China Compulsory Certification (CCC), a key product safety certification for electronic goods. The change means US manufacturers seeking CCC approval will need to rely on auditors or certification bodies based outside the United States. The latest measures follow a series of US actions targeting Chinese technology products. In December, the FCC restricted imports of new Chinese drones before later easing the ban for certain models. Last week, Washington also announced restrictions on imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters, citing national security concerns.

The United States has suspended its airstrikes on Iran after nearly two weeks of escalating military operations, while diplomatic efforts have intensified in an attempt to prevent the conflict from returning to full-scale war. It remains uncertain, however, whether Washington and Tehran are moving toward a lasting breakthrough as the conflict approaches its fifth month on Tuesday. President Donald Trump has sent mixed signals, warning that further military action remains an option while also saying negotiations with Iran are continuing. He has dismissed concerns that rising fuel prices linked to the conflict could hurt Republicans in November's midterm elections. The situation is further complicated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned visit to Washington next week. Israel, which joined the United States in launching military operations against Iran on Feb. 28, has so far stayed out of the latest U.S. strikes following Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of global oil supplies normally pass. Analysts say Israel's absence from the latest phase of the conflict could signal either a desire to avoid widening the war or leave open the possibility of greater military pressure if diplomacy fails. Regional mediation efforts are continuing, with officials involved in the talks describing the pause in military operations as a positive development that could help reduce tensions. According to a regional official familiar with the negotiations, discussions are focused on restoring an interim ceasefire while reaching a compromise over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal under discussion would allow Iran to oversee vessel transit with fewer restrictions on commercial shipping. Iran tightened control over the strategic waterway after the conflict began by targeting commercial vessels, contributing to sharp increases in global oil prices. The disruption has raised economic concerns in the United States, where higher fuel costs have become a political issue ahead of the congressional elections. The U.S. military has expanded its operations in recent weeks, targeting Iran's coastal defenses, transport infrastructure and military positions in an effort to weaken Tehran's ability to threaten shipping in the Gulf. Analysts believe the military campaign is intended to pressure Iran into returning to negotiations. However, they note that Iran's divided political leadership may complicate diplomatic progress, as some factions could view concessions to Washington as a sign of weakness. Despite their differences, both countries have strong economic incentives to restore normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, although they remain divided over how the waterway should be managed. Regional tensions remain high despite the pause in direct U.S.-Iran fighting. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said Saturday they launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia in response to Saudi airstrikes on the Red Sea port city of Hodeida. The group also claimed it had closed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another strategically important shipping route. Meanwhile, the U.S. military said it continues enforcing its naval blockade of Iranian ports and disabled a Mozambique-flagged vessel in the Gulf of Oman after it allegedly attempted to breach the blockade. Trump said Friday that Washington has two options: continue military operations or pursue diplomacy. "We can keep doing exactly what we're doing... or we can negotiate with them, which we're also doing right now," he told reporters. While saying he does not believe Iran is yet ready to reach an agreement, Trump added that Tehran appears to be taking negotiations more seriously as the conflict continues. The president also met senior national security advisers on Friday to review U.S. strategy toward Iran, including whether to maintain the current approach or expand military operations. No American airstrikes were reported overnight, ending a streak of 13 consecutive nights of attacks. Trump insisted he is not rushing to end the conflict because of domestic political considerations, saying his administration's priority is to "do it right" rather than focus on the approaching elections.

The United States has carried out another wave of military strikes against Iran, with President Donald Trump pledging retaliation following the deaths of three American service members in recent attacks blamed on Tehran. The latest operation marked the 10th consecutive night of US strikes targeting what the military described as Iranian capabilities that could threaten shipping in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes targeted military command centres, missile and drone launch sites, maritime assets and air defence systems in an effort to further weaken Iran’s offensive capabilities. Trump said Iran had been hit “very hard” during the previous night’s attacks, describing the operation as a response carried out in honour of three US soldiers killed in recent incidents in Jordan and Iraq. Iran, meanwhile, claimed it had retaliated by attacking two oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz and striking US military assets in Bahrain and Kuwait, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the country was now engaged in a “full-scale war” with the United States. Despite the escalating conflict, Iranian officials said indirect diplomatic contacts between Tehran and Washington were continuing through intermediaries, even after the collapse of a ceasefire. CENTCOM said commercial shipping was continuing through the Strait of Hormuz despite the latest military exchanges. Iranian authorities said rescue teams were evacuating the crews of the two damaged oil tankers after the attacks. Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz had reported being struck by an unidentified projectile, forcing its crew to abandon the vessel and take to lifeboats. It was not immediately clear whether the ship was one of the two vessels cited by Iran. The US Department of Defense identified two of the three American service members killed in an Iranian strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan as Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas, and Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii. CENTCOM said another service member had initially been reported missing after the attack, with unidentified remains later recovered from the area. Regional tensions also spread beyond the Gulf. Jordan’s military said it intercepted three Iranian missiles after air raid sirens warned of incoming attacks, while Kuwait’s armed forces reported shooting down Iranian drones. Bahrain said Iranian drones targeted its air navigation systems, although authorities said air traffic operations were not disrupted. Iranian media reported that several cities, including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini, were hit during overnight US strikes. State media also reported explosions involving two oil tankers attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed the vessels had been using what it described as an “unsafe and hazardous” southern route through the waterway and said they exploded before coming to a halt. The US military disputed that account, maintaining that its operations were directed at military targets rather than commercial shipping.  Source: BBC  

Belgium cruised into the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 4-1 victory over co-hosts the United States on Monday, capitalizing on a series of defensive mistakes to end the Americans' hopes of a deep run on home soil. Charles De Ketelaere starred for the Red Devils with two goals and an assist, while Hans Vanaken and substitute Romelu Lukaku also found the net to extend Belgium's unbeaten run to 18 matches. Belgium took the lead in the eighth minute when De Ketelaere finished off a well-worked move after the U.S. defense failed to clear the danger. The hosts responded in the 31st minute as Malik Tillman curled home his second direct free-kick goal of the tournament. However, Belgium restored its advantage just 61 seconds after the restart, with De Ketelaere heading in his second goal of the night from a Leandro Trossard cross. The Red Devils widened the margin in the 57th minute after a costly mistake by U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese. His hesitation while trying to control a long ball allowed Belgium to regain possession, and Vanaken's long-range effort found the net after taking a deflection. Substitute Romelu Lukaku completed the scoring in stoppage time after Belgium won the ball high up the pitch. The United States welcomed back striker Folarin Balogun after FIFA overturned his one-match suspension, but the boost was overshadowed by defensive lapses and an injury to captain Christian Pulisic, who was forced off in the second half after hurting his right foot. The defeat ended the Americans' bid to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. It was also their second Round-of-16 elimination by Belgium in the past 12 years and their seventh consecutive loss to the European side. Belgium will face Spain in the quarterfinals on Friday in Inglewood, California, with a place in the semifinals against either France or Morocco at stake. The result also confirmed the elimination of all six CONCACAF teams from the tournament, with co-hosts the United States, Mexico and Canada all exiting in the Round of 16.