Foreign Affairs - Abia ThinkTank News

Mar

2026

Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Says He’s Accepted ‘Call’ To Lead Iran After Khamenei’s Death

Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Says He’s Accepted ‘Call’ To Lead Iran After Khamenei’s Death Reza Pahlavi, exiled Iranian crown prince, says he has accepted the call to be the country’s next leader. Pahlavi is the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran and is widely regarded as the most prominent figure in the opposition to the Iranian government. He has repeatedly called for protests against the Islamic Republic and advocated for the removal of the current regime from power, as well as closer relation with the Western world and Israel. Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, was…

Mar

2026

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Khamenei’s Deputy Chief Of Staff Killed As Israel Launches 50 Fighter Jets Into Iran’s Underground Military Bunker

Foreign Affairs, International, News Flash, War, World News

Khamenei’s Deputy Chief Of Staff Killed As Israel Launches 50 Fighter Jets Into Iran’s Underground Military Bunker In a major development in the intensifying Israel-Iran war, Israeli media reported that a senior figure within Iran’s leadership structure was killed during an Israeli airstrike on Tehran, marking another high-level casualty in the conflict that has shaken the country’s command network. On Friday, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Ali Asghar Mir Hejazi, the deputy chief of staff of the office of Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting the Iranian capital.…

Mar

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

Chinese Boss Drops $26 Million In Cash At End Of Year Party, Tells Employees To Take As Much As They Can Carry

Foreign Affairs, News Flash, Philanthropy, World News

Chinese Boss Drops $26 Million In Cash At End Of Year Party, Tells Employees To Take As Much As They Can Carry A Chinese company stunned staff by stacking $26 million in cash at its end-of-year celebration, inviting employees to take home as much money as they could carry. The firm, Henan Kuangshan Crane Co. Ltd., hosted its annual party on February 13, spreading the enormous sum across 800 banquet tables. Beneath bright, colorful lights, sharply dressed employees were seen eagerly sizing up the towering piles of banknotes laid out before them. An estimated 7,000 people attended the company’s celebration.…

Mar

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

Trump Rejects Mojtab Khamenei, Says He Must Be Involved In Selecting New Leader For Iran

Foreign Affairs, News Flash, War, World News

Trump Rejects Mojtaba Khamenei, Says He Must Be Involved In Selecting New Iran Leader United States President, Donald Trump on Thursday said that he must be personally involved in the process of selecting a new leader in Iran. In an interview with Axios published Thursday, Trump said the son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei, is most likely to succeed his father, but that the pick would be “unacceptable” to him. “We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” Trump told the outlet. “They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have…

Feb

2026

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US, Israel Launch Strikes Against Iran

Foreign Affairs, News Flash, World News

US, Israel Launch Strikes Against Iran The United States and Israel launched a wave of strikes against targets in Iranian cities on Saturday, triggering explosions and columns of smoke in the capital Tehran. The attacks came after US President Donald Trump expressed frustration at Iran’s stance in negotiations over its nuclear and missile programmes. Trump said Washington’s goal was “eliminating imminent threats” from Iran, and Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the action as a “preventive strike”. “The United States’ military began major combat operations in Iran,” Trump said in a video message posted on his social media site while…

Feb

2026

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US Freezes Assets Of Eight Nigerians Over Boko Haram, ISIL Links (See Names)

Foreign Affairs, International, News Flash, Security, World News

US Freezes Assets Of Eight Nigerians Over Boko Haram, ISIL Links (See Names) The United States has frozen the assets and properties of eight Nigerians on suspicion of having ties to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, ISIL, and Boko Haram. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) at the US Treasury published a more than 3,000-page report over the weekend that included those who had been sanctioned for offences relating to cybercrime and other security risks. The announcement follows the US Congress’s recent proposals to freeze assets and bar visas for Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the former governor…

Feb

2026

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Trump Tells Hamas To Proceed With ‘Full, Immediate’ Disarmament

Foreign Affairs, News Flash, Security, World News

Trump Tells Hamas To Proceed With ‘Full, Immediate’ Disarmament US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Hamas to move forward with disarmament under his plan for postwar Gaza, and said members of his so-called “Board of Peace” had pledged $5 billion to the Palestinian territory’s reconstruction. “Very importantly, Hamas must uphold its commitment to Full and Immediate Demilitarisation,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform, ahead of a February 19 meeting of the board in Washington. Disarmament is a key part in the second phase of the US-brokered ceasefire plan sealed in October between Israel and the…

Feb

2026

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US Africa Command Visits President Tinubu In Abuja

FGN, Foreign Affairs, International, Security

US Africa Command Visits President Tinubu In Abuja A high-level delegation from the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) paid a courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Sunday, in what appears to be a sign of strengthened bilateral ties on security and regional stability. The meeting featured key U.S. military and diplomatic figures, including Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, Keith Heffern; AFRICOM Commander, General Dagvin Anderson; Senior Foreign Policy Adviser to AFRICOM, Ambassador Peter Vrooman; and Command Sergeant Major Garric M. Banfield, the Command Senior Enlisted Leader of AFRICOM. Special Assistant…

Feb

2026

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‘Very Respected Woman’, Trump Praises Remi Tinubu At US Prayer Breakfast

Foreign Affairs, International, News Flash, Religion

‘Very Respected Woman’, Trump Praises Remi Tinubu At US Prayer Breakfast U.S. President Donald Trump has praised Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, describing her as a “very respected woman” during the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C on Thursday. Trump made the remarks while addressing participants at the faith-based gathering, which was attended by political and civic leaders from across the world. His comments highlighted Mrs Tinubu’s influence and stature, drawing applause from the audience. In his address, Trump recognised the Nigerian First Lady’s role as a pastor in one of Nigeria’s largest churches and referenced her pastoral background.…

Feb

2026

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By Abia ThinkTank

South Africa Disconnects Power Supply To Nigerian High Commission Over Unpaid Bills

Foreign Affairs, News Flash, Presidency

South Africa Disconnects Power Supply To Nigerian High Commission Over Unpaid Bills The city of Tshwane in South Africa disconnected electricity supply to the High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria over unpaid utility bills, before later restoring power after the debt was settled. The development was disclosed by the Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane, Dr. Nasiphi Moya, in a post on X. “#TshwaneYaTima: We’ve disconnected electricity at the High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They owe the city for utility services,” Moya wrote. The disconnection of power to Nigeria’s diplomatic mission sparked reactions online,…