Putin meets Xi as Trump delays Iran strike and Gulf tensions deepen
UAE intercepts drones as Trump pauses Iran strike and China hosts Putin talks
As tensions across the Middle East continue to escalate, global powers are navigating an increasingly fragile balance between diplomacy and military pressure. Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, highlighting a deepening Moscow-Beijing alliance following US President Donald Trump’s recent visit to China. Meanwhile, Washington weighs its next steps on Iran, the UAE says it intercepted hostile drones targeting civilian areas, and international concern grows over attacks linked to nuclear infrastructure and maritime security in the Gulf. Follow our live coverage for the latest updates:
Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed "strong, positive" momentum in cooperation between Russia and China, as he held talks with counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday.
"Even amid unfavorable external factors, our cooperation and economic cooperation is showing strong, positive momentum," Putin told Xi as the two met in the Great Hall of the People, video from Russian media showed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, video from Russian media showed.
Putin is seeking to underscore their unshakeable alliance, days after US President Donald Trump visited the Chinese capital.
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Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday, shaking hands with the Russian leader outside the Great Hall of the People ahead of talks, video by Russian media showed.
Putin and Xi walked down a red carpet rolled out to greet the Russian leader, and stood as a military band played their two national anthems.
Beijing: Russian President Vladimir Putin meets China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday, seeking to underline their unshakeable alliance in the wake of Donald Trump's visit to the Asian superpower economy.
Trump had been received with pomp last week but left without major breakthroughs including on help with reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Putin also arrives in Beijing weakened by years of its war on Ukraine, as sanctions by Western powers put the squeeze on Russian energy revenues.
The US Senate has advanced a measure seeking to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to launch future military action against Iran without congressional approval, passing the procedural vote 50–47.
The UN Security Council members strongly condemned the terrorist attacks that targeted the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, and emphasised the grave risks associated with targeting nuclear facilities.
The UAE also joined the Council members in calling for ensuring full accountability.
JD Vance told reporters he is “not certain” a deal with Iran will materialise, as cited "fractures" within Iran’s leadership, adding that Tehran’s negotiating position remains "unclear" amid mixed signals from different power centres in the country.
Vance, however, said he remains sufficiently optimistic to keep working toward an agreement as diplomatic efforts continue alongside military pressure.
US President Donald Trump stated that he has paused a planned military attack on Iran, saying he would "hold off" for a “limited period of time” to allow for ongoing negotiations — even as he warns a new strike could happen soon if talks fail.
Trump said he was reportedly “an hour away” from ordering a fresh assault before postponing it, and suggested the delay could last “two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week — a limited period of time.” He stressed the pause is temporary because “we can’t let them have a new nuclear weapon.”
The UAE Ministry of Defence announced that over the past 48 hours, UAE air defence systems successfully detected and intercepted six hostile drones that attempted to target civilian and vital areas in the country.
US Central Command said its forces continue 'total enforcement' of the U. blockade targeting Iranian maritime activity, reporting that 89 commercial vessels have now been redirected to ensure compliance.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said the operation aims to stop the flow of commercial traffic into and out of Iranian ports, as part of ongoing enforcement measures in the region.
The command added that vessels are being diverted in coordination with maritime operations designed to restrict sanctioned shipping routes linked to Iran.
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