Russia said on Friday that its forces had seized control of several settlements in Kursk Oblast and the Donetsk region over the past week, while Ukraine reported that they had been fighting back the Russian forces.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that in the past week, the Russian forces had launched 39 attacks on Ukraine with cluster munitions, targeting military enterprises, energy facilities, military airports, weapons and ammunition depots and Ukrainian military positions, and taken control of 10 settlements in the Kursk region and five in the Donetsk region.
Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian army lost nearly 300 personnel and 34 armored vehicles, including seven tanks, in Kursk Oblast, the ministry said.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported of 69 battles in the frontlines by Friday afternoon, where the situation is still grim. The Ukrainian army had been fighting back against the Russian forces, causing damage to Russian personnel and equipment.
The Russian forces continued to bomb Chernigov Oblast and Sumy Oblast on the border, and Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, sounded an air defense siren on Friday night.
Russia, Ukraine update battle reports
Russia, Ukraine update battle reports
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that his country has not sent hypersonic missiles to Yemen's Houthi group.
The president made the remarks at a press conference in Tehran, in response to a question from an Al Jazeera news network reporter who quoted political experts saying that Iran has supplied hypersonic missiles, or the technology to develop them, to the Houthis.
Iran has hypersonic missiles, but not of the same kind that the Houthis possess, Pezeshkian said, adding that the Houthis themselves had developed the missiles over time.
It is impossible for Iran to send missiles to Yemen covertly when it takes more than a week just to send solely human forces to the country, he said.
Pezeshkian said that Iran and the Houthis have worked together against Israel's "genocide" in Gaza, and stressed that the international community should condemn the crimes against humanity committed by Israel.
"If [the Western] countries are worried about the security of Israel, why are they not concerned about the security of Gaza Strip, the security of Palestine and innocent people? Civilized countries and supporters of human rights should not allow power to bomb and kill innocent civilians while simultaneously accusing Iran of supplying missiles to Yemen's Houthis," said Pezeshkian.
On Iran-U.S. relations, Pezeshkian emphasized Iran's pursuit of peace over conflict and clarified that Iran has no intentions of building nuclear weapons.
However, he said, the U.S. has chosen to abandon the Iran nuclear deal and made threats against Iran. The possibility of a relaxation in strained relations between the two sides hinges on the U.S. dropping its animosity towards Iran and revoking its extensive sanctions against the country, he said.
"We don't want to start a war, but the U.S. wants to impose wars on us. If the U.S. is willing to respect Iran's rights, we will not engage in conflict with the U.S. or any other party. We hope to develop safely in our own country without the U.S. undermining Iran's security or threaten and humiliate Iran. we will never accept humiliation," Pezeshkian said.
Iran has not sent hypersonic missiles to Yemen's Houthis: President Pezeshkian
