All Articles

China tests ‘world’s heaviest cargo drone’ suited to high-altitude and island operations

China has executed the maiden flight of the Changying-8, which it says is the world’s heaviest multi-terrain cargo drone with the potential for military applications. The CY-8, which was developed under defence contractor China North Industries Group Corporation Limited (Norinco), is capable of short take-off and landing as well as operating on high-altitude plateaus and island regions. According to China’s state broadcaster CCTV, the drone successfully completed its maiden flight on Tuesday...

As US, Israel and Iran continue fighting, question is how to end 'a war of attrition'

US President Donald Trump threatened to destroy Iran's Kharg Island and power grid, were it not to agree to a deal the US sent to Iranian leaders to end the war. This was later followed by fresh strikes from the US and Israel, which Iran responded to by targeting Gulf nations. FRANCE 24's Reza Sayah tells us more from Tehran.

Is extortion widespread at Indonesia’s entry points? Officer’s firing sparks concern

The firing of an Indonesian immigration officer at a Batam seaport, following reports of extortion of foreign tourists, has raised questions about the prevalence of such practices across the country’s entry points. Batam, in Indonesia’s Riau Islands province, is a popular destination for visitors from nearby Singapore as it boasts scenic beaches an hour’s ferry ride from the city state. The island’s appeal has recently been marred by allegations of extortion by immigration officers at Batam...

Trump mulls seizing Iranian island even as diplomatic talks appear to be moving ahead

Published: 20260331T053000Z

Trump threatens Kharg island strike

Published: 20260331T024500Z

Middle East war live: Iran defiant as Trump makes new threat against its oil hub

Iran fired new missiles early Tuesday as it vowed defiance against US President Donald Trump, who threatened to destroy the country's oil export hub of Kharg Island along with power and desalination plants unless Tehran quickly accepts a deal to end the war. Tehran described US peace proposals as "unrealistic" and fired waves of missiles at Israel. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.

Artemis II will fly astronauts around moon: What to know about launch

NASA’s Artemis II test flight is set for Wednesday, a trip that will mark the first crewed mission to head toward the moon in more than five decades. The launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Fla., is scheduled for 6:24 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The onsite countdown clock began ticking down at...

Names and games: Taipei hits back over ‘China’ label, but will it pay off?

Taiwan has pushed back against a growing number of foreign governments that label it part of China in their internal systems. But questions are mounting over whether Taipei’s retaliatory moves can deliver results. The dispute has widened in recent weeks after South Korea, Denmark and Cameroon were found to have changed how they designate the island in official systems, such as those that handle visa documents, residence permits and international conference credentials. Taipei has responded with...

Trump threatens to destroy Iran oil island despite price surge

Published: 20260330T230000Z

Trump threatens to destroy Iran’s Kharg Island oil hub if no deal reached

US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to destroy Iran’s key oil export hub at Kharg Island and other critical infrastructure unless Tehran swiftly agrees to a deal to end the US-Israeli war, sharply escalating tensions in an already volatile region. The warning has rattled global energy markets and raised fears of a broader conflict, as Iran signals potential retaliation and moves to tighten control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

'The hypocrisy was so stark' expert says, as US reverses course on Cuba oil blockade

Speaking with FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney, Helen Yaffe, Professor of Latin American Political Economy at the University of Glasgow, describes the "stark hypocrisy" of the Trump administration's complaints about Iran blocking free movement on the seas while at the same time weaponising starvation by denying the Cuban people oil. The US has allowed a sanctioned Russian tanker to deliver fuel to the island for humanitarian reasons, saying such decisions would be handled on a ​case-by-case basis.

Trump threatens to destroy Iran oil island despite price surge

Published: 20260330T200000Z

Fake images falsely claim Iran captured US marines on Kharg Island

Rubio denies US actions punitive, blames Cuba for economic failures

In exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, the US secretary of state downplays US role in the island nation's fuel crisis.

The Latest : Trump suggests US could take Iran Kharg Island

Published: 20260330T193000Z

Iran 'All Hardliners Over There', Says Michael Allen

Michael Allen, a former White House adviser in the Bush administration, said Iran still appears to be in the hands of a hardliners which could mean a more drawn-out conflict and make striking a deal difficult.  US President Donald Trump repeated threats to destroy Iranian energy assets if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t reopened soon, raising fears the war could escalate after more American troops arrived in the region. The US “is in serious discussions” with what he called a new regime in Iran to end military operations, Trump said in a social-media post on Monday. But if a deal isn’t reached and Hormuz reopened, “we will conclude our lovely “stay” in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!).” (Source: Bloomberg)

Boots on the ground? Trump eyes Iran oil hub Kharg Island

What could possibly go wrong? As Donald Trump repeats threats of a Venezuela-style seizing of Tehran’s oil exports, as US assault troops get in position, the price of oil blowing past 110 dollars a barrel, and as markets take it at face value that the Pentagon's planning to make a grab for Kharg Island - the hub for nearly 90-percent of Iranian crude exports...

Ever thought Alcatraz Island needed a 450 - foot statue of Prometheus ? Meet the tech executive hoping to MAGA - fy Silicon Valley skyline

Published: 20260330T174500Z

Is the US ready to invade Iran? What Trump’s moves tell us so far

Seizing strategic islands and destroying Iran's stock of enriched uranium are options the US is considering.

While Trump vows Iran deal on the way, 'evidence points to another direction'

US President Donald Trump threatened on March 30 to destroy Iran's crude export hub of Kharg Island, along with its oil wells and power plants, unless Tehran quickly accepted a peace deal. He also claimed that the United States was in 'serious discussions' with 'a more reasonable regime' in Tehran. 'While Trump points in one direction, empirical evidence seems to point the other way' says FRANCE 24's Douglas Herbert.

Why Trump Is Eyeing Iran’s Kharg Island Oil Export Hub

Iran’s oil exports are almost completely dependent on a small outpost in the Persian Gulf: Kharg Island.

How the US could try to seize Iran's Kharg Island

Donald Trump has indicated he could send troops to take control of Iran's key oil export terminal.

Russian oil arrives in Cuba following Trump turnaround on Cuban blockade

A Russian oil tanker has reached Cuba, bringing a much-needed shipment to the oil-starved nation. The shipment of oil would be the first to Havana since January, when US forces abducted Venezuelan president and Cuban ally Nicolas Maduro in a raid. This comes after US President Donald Trump signalled to a softening of the blockade against the island nation. FRANCE 24's Philip Turle looks into this change of course from Trump, and what could be behind it.

Trump wants to ‘take Iran’s oil’: Can he, and what would that mean?

Trump said US forces could seize Iran's oil export hub at Kharg Island as the war enters its second month.