Trump leaves open possibility of further sanctions on Iran

The US president said "very draconian sanctions" were being considered

US President Donald Trump

WASHINGTON, August 19. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump said the United States could impose new sanctions on Iran.

"We have things that we could sanction. We have very draconian sanctions and we will see what happens," he told reporters at the White House.

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United States Iran

Strait of Hormuz developments

Trump says pipelines can reduce Hormuz Strait's importance

Record numbers of pipelines are being built, the US president added

US does not notify South Korea in advance about scaling back exercises — MFA

According to Cho Hyun, the South Korean government and US officials were not aware of the plan announced in a statement made by US President Donald Trump

Russia entitled to view UK as party to Ukrainian conflict — Lavrov

The Russian foreign minister said he feels sorry for the UK if it stays with Ukraine until the very end

Ukraine’s Zelensky should resign before he is forced into it — German daily

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Apty Alaudinov says Israel’s objective is to drag both the US and the entire NATO bloc into the struggle

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Damage reported at Ufa oil refinery as Russia intercepts 453 Ukrainian drones overnight

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Trump threatens Oman over planned deal with Iran on Strait of Hormuz — AP

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Russian troops clear 400 buildings of Ukrainian forces in liberating Vodyanskoye

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NATO vows to defend US bases in Europe — Reuters

Earlier, the anonymous sources claimed that Iran is allegedly prepared to launch strikes against US bases not only in the Middle East

Rada appoints Khmara as defense minister

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Russian ombudswoman holds talks with her Ukrainian counterpart

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Press review: US, Iran opt for war of attrition as Kiev diverts focus with Russia attacks

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Boosting investment activity is the primary condition for economic growth in Russia, the head of state said

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The plant's fire chief Toni Jaako suggested the blast might have been caused by a technical malfunction

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Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov pointed out that diplomacy is always conducted quietly

Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies expose ring involving Zelensky’s office officials

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Russia, Myanmar have promising naval projects — Russia’s federal service

According to the statement, there are numerous joint projects involving both aircraft and the maintenance of the airworthiness of previously supplied fighter jets

Zelensky appoints Khmara defense minister to step up terror attacks on Russia — expert

Vladimir Karasev suggested that Vladimir Zelensky, facing setbacks in the war, may see this as his only strategic option

French politician calls Fyodorov's speech disaster for Zelensky

Florian Philippot advised that the former Ukrainian defense minister watch his safety

Ukrainian detained in Croatia in Nord Stream case — German Prosecutor General's Office

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Presidential envoy explains pause in annual addresses to parliament by number of reasons

Garry Minkh says the current situation demands a prompt response rather than long-term strategic planning

US fighter jet flies over Baltic Sea near Russia’s Kaliningrad Region — source

The aircraft flew in from Reykjavík, passing through the airspace of Norway and Sweden along the way, and also flying over Poland

Trump, Vance 'not on same page' on Iran — WP

The daily says that keeping fuel prices low is a priority for JD Vance, which means restoring normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz

Ukraine loses 674 aircraft during special military operation — top brass

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the enemy also lost 284 helicopters

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Readiness to ask no questions led Khmara to defense minister’s seat — DPR politician

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Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf added that US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth are "way out of their league"

Trump says North Korea has 57 'very powerful' nuclear weapons

Donald Trump added that he would not have allowed it, had he been president earlier

Presidential envoy says format of president’s addresses may be revised

Garry Minkh drew a parallel between the possible revision of the rules and the 2020 constitutional amendments

Russia, Myanmar sign memorandum on energy cooperation — ministry

The memorandum aims to develop cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector and create conditions for further expansion of practical cooperation

Press review: Ukraine conflict fuels EU ultra-right as Trump seeks Iran pressure via Oman

Iran to correct Trump’s illusion about Strait of Hormuz’s sovereignty — diplomat

The US president earlier published a map that depicted the Strait of Hormuz as the territory of the United States

Novak, Siluanov comment on Russia’s GDP growth, additional support for regions

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US believes Oman made too many concessions in talks with Iran — AP

According to the agency, the United States disagrees with a number of agreements reached by Iran and Oman

Cyprus taking precautions against potential threats — news agency

The source said that four Greek Air Force F-16 fighter jets, as well as the Nikiforos Fokas frigate, are currently stationed in Cyprus

Russia reminds Japanese ambassador that it paid huge price for Kurils — MFA

Russia summoned the Japanese ambassador following Tokyo’s protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Kuril Island of Iturup

EU readies infrastructure for large-scale military conflict — diplomat

Attention is being paid, among other things, to adapting the civilian transport and logistics infrastructure to the tasks of military planning and operational mobility, Yulia Zhdanova said

Rada may change location for safety reasons — agency

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US oil companies to sign agreement with Venezuela’s PDVSA — Politico

Venezuelan Minister of Hydrocarbons Paula Henao plans to attend the signing ceremony

Trump’s indecisiveness about Kiev envoy reflects cautious approach to Ukraine — expert

Andrey Bystritsky said the US president is clearly trying to be careful where Ukraine is concerned

Defense ministry’s air defense forces shot down ten more UAVs flying toward Moscow

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Russian embassy points out violations of international maritime law by Rome

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The Russian servicemen are currently in Belarus

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UAE halts trade, financial transactions with Iran — Foreign Ministry

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Zelensky’s office unhappy with US appointment of its people to key positions in Ukraine

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Putin calls Russia’s economic growth modest but positive

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DPRK warns of retaliatory measures in response to US-South Korea military drill

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Trump would like to meet with Kim Jong Un this autumn — WSJ

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Three NATO reconnaissance planes spotted near Kaliningrad Region

One of them is a US Gulfstream EA-37B Compass Call II electronic warfare aircraft

Russia awaits interesting proposals from Vatican envoy — Federation Council

Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Grigory Karasin noted that Russia welcomes visits by foreign officials and politicians who come to reach agreements

Verkhovna Rada approves new Ukrainian foreign, defense ministers

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US claim for Strait of Hormuz far from its real capabilities — Iranian official

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With Khmara as defense minister Ukraine to continue sabotage against Russia — MP

Alexander Boroday noted that Khmara essentially remains an "SBU special forces operative", which is why he will use the same methods in his new position that he used previously

OpenAI pauses training of new AI models due to cyber risks — company

The measure was introduced for two weeks

Diplomat points to unfriendly narratives toward Russia in Azerbaijan’s media space

Maria Zakharova said that Moscow "has repeatedly invited its Azerbaijani colleagues to hold relevant consultations to discuss ways of improving information background without politicization or media hype"

Ex-deputy head of Zelensky’s office Mudraya detained — lawmaker

Irina Mudraya is currently under an investigative procedure at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine

NATO aircraft spotted near Russia’s Kaliningrad Region on Aug 18 — Die Welt

A NATO spokesman, commenting on this information at the newspaper’s request, stated that "NATO is a defense alliance, and the alliance partners are continuously improving their defense capabilities"

US has changed tactics regarding Iran, halted negotiations — CNN

According to sources cited by the TV channel, before resuming negotiations, Donald Trump wants to wait until the leaders of the Islamic Republic demonstrate their willingness to conclude the deal he is seeking

Grossi’s ZNPP visit can hinder Kiev’s efforts to blame Russia for attacks — senator

Kiev derailed Grossi’s visit to the ZNPP scheduled for August 20-21