Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said China’s dependence on Iranian and Russian oil is a key issue in upcoming trade talks.

Weeks after his country was battered by waves of Israeli strikes and the US bombed three of its prized nuclear facilities, Iran’s foreign minister came to a gathering of regional diplomats in China this week with a simple ask.

"Strengthening air defense capabilities is clearly an urgent priority for Iran at the moment," expert Hongda Fan told Newsweek.

Russia sought to do this naval drill primarily to show it is still interested in joint cooperation with Iran. Iran and Russia began a naval exercise on Monday.

The Agricultural Research Service lost dozens of researchers after the USDA terminated contracts with nationals from four countries of concern.

Iran and Russia have a security agreement although Moscow did not come to Tehran's help when it was under attack by Israel and the United States

A report that appeared in Iranian state media IRNA took a swipe at China, saying its “non-interventionist policy” is suitable for a developing country but not for one aspiring a world leadership role

“Gov. Abbott signed our bill to protect Texas from the influence of hostile foreign nations,” said State Rep. Cole Hefner, a co-author of the legislation in a statement. “This is about defending Texas — our sovereignty, our security, and our way of life.”