His fierce defence of the Iran plan amid mounting criticism comes as speculation intensifies about a possible 2028 presidential run.

A refinery and a shopping centre burned after almost 200 Ukrainian drones were launched towards an area to the south-east of the Russian capital.

Niger has been fighting a militant Islamist insurgency for a decade and in January suspected jihadists attacked the same airport.

While the human cost is clear, the Iranian regime has not just survived the war, it has been empowered.

The boy was 13 when he killed eight girls, a boy and a school guard at Vladislav Ribnikar school in Belgrade in 2023.

The US defence secretary's move follows a US decision to scale back its commitments to a high readiness force within the alliance.