Category: Azer News

United States President Donald Trump posted an image on his social media platform Truth Social, labeling the Strait of Hormuz as “new U.S. territory”.

Last week, Trump hinted at the idea of the vital maritime route becoming American territory.

“Pretty soon, I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States. Essentially, that’s what it is,” he said, claiming that Washington already has full control over the disputed waterway.

Azerbaijani MMA fighter Mirmehti Miriyev has defeated Mongolia’s Batochir Batsaikhan at ONE Friday Fights 166 in Bangkok, Thailand, AzerNEWS reports, citing the Azerbaijan Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Miriyev competed against Batsaikhan in a bantamweight MMA bout and secured a unanimous-decision victory after three rounds. ONE Championship officially records the result as a unanimous decision in the third round.

The victory marked Miriyev’s debut in ONE Championship, one of the world’s leading martial arts organizations. The Azerbaijani fighter, who competes under the nickname “The Unbroken,” is associated with Grappland 411. Sherdog lists him with a professional record of 5-2 prior to the ONE bout, including five submission victories.

Miriyev’s previous professional victory came in June 2026, when he defeated China’s Huibo Ding by armbar submission at WLF – W.A.R.S. 95.

ONE Friday Fights 166 and The Inner Circle 26 took place at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium, featuring international fighters competing in Muay Thai, kickboxing and MMA. Fighters from over 190 countries participated in the event.

Mirmehti Miriyev’s victory represents a notable result for Azerbaijan on his debut on the ONE Championship stage.

OpenAI announced on Tuesday the launch of ChatGPT for Teens, a dedicated version of its AI chatbot designed for younger users.

Promising that the model would help teens “think critically, deepen understanding, and use AI with confidence,” the service also includes additional safeguards, tools encouraging healthy use, and expanded parental controls. Alongside the launch, OpenAI unveiled a partnership with CodeAI focused on AI literacy in schools, with plans to introduce millions of students to responsible AI use, launch a Builders Challenge for high school students, and provide educational resources for teachers.

A joint advisory council will also examine child development, learning needs and emerging AI risks to help guide future development of ChatGPT for Teens.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Duncan Norman, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Azerbaijan, on August 18.

The ambassador presented his credentials to the head of state.

Beginning his remarks in Azerbaijani, Duncan Norman said: ‘Your Excellency, when my wife Kerry and I first came to Azerbaijan 27 years ago, we were deeply impressed by the warmth of the people and the great potential of Baku. Since then, Azerbaijan has undergone tremendous development. I am honored to open a new chapter in relations between our countries.’

Stating that work on a new strategic partnership between the United Kingdom and Azerbaijan is ongoing, the ambassador emphasized that this would further advance the achievements of the two countries through deeper cooperation, strengthening security, and promoting innovation across shared priorities.

The ambassador expressed his country’s desire to build a dynamic partnership with Azerbaijan in the fields of renewable energy, defense, and aviation, while highlighting educational ties and stronger connections between young people.

He noted that the UK Government appreciates President Ilham Aliyev’s efforts to establish peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia and supports this progress.

Duncan Norman also recalled that his country was the first international partner to support Azerbaijan’s demining efforts.

The head of state wished the ambassador a pleasant stay in Baku and highly praised him for speaking Azerbaijani.

President Ilham Aliyev said that the issues on the agenda are of great importance not only from a bilateral perspective, but also for regional development and cooperation.

Expressing gratitude to the UK Government for its assistance in demining, the head of state noted that Azerbaijan needs closer international cooperation in this area.

Recalling that Azerbaijan-UK cooperation began precisely in the energy sector 30 years ago, President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the significant potential for partnership in renewable energy. In this context, he noted that the first solar power plant in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories was constructed by bp.

Noting that, in the 35 years since gaining independence, Azerbaijan has lived only one year in peace, the head of state emphasized that this represents a major shift for the region.

President Ilham Aliyev said that, taking into account the situation in the region, security will continue to be a priority on the country’s agenda.

Noting that a positive investment climate has been created in Azerbaijan, the head of state highlighted the strong mutual interest of Azerbaijani and British companies.

President Ilham Aliyev wished the ambassador success in his activities.

Yemen’s Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) carried out a drone attack on a Saudi Aramco oil refinery in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern province of Jizan, AzerNEWS reports, citing Yemen’s SABA news agency.

The agency, citing a military source, said that Houthi forces had targeted the Aramco refinery with several drones.

Jizan is located in southwestern Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea coast, near the border with Yemen. The region is strategically important due to its proximity to Yemen and its oil and port infrastructure, including facilities operated by Saudi Aramco.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities on the Houthi claim.

The reported attack comes amid continued tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia and follows previous attacks targeting Saudi military and maritime assets.

Earlier, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said that Ansar Allah forces had targeted a Saudi amphibious vessel and accompanying boats with ballistic missiles in the Red Sea. According to the statement, the vessel was completely destroyed by fire.

The Azerbaijan Press Council condemned the publication of offensive, threatening and inappropriate materials targeting Azerbaijan, its people, leadership and prominent figures in some Russian media outlets, AzerNEWS reports.

In a statement, the council said such content is completely contrary to the principles of civilized journalism, ethical standards and human values.

The council emphasized that similar incidents have unfortunately been repeatedly observed in Russia’s information space. It said such practices are incompatible with the spirit of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Russia, as well as media ties between the two countries.

“The Azerbaijani media have always been selective in their coverage of issues related to neighboring countries, including Russia, and have not given place to opinions and claims that go beyond professional principles. Therefore, the occurrence of such unpleasant situations in the information sphere of Russia causes deep regret and reasonable dissatisfaction in the Azerbaijani public,” the statement noted.

The Press Council strongly condemned the reported cases and called on Russia’s media community and society at large to take serious measures against actions aimed at undermining Azerbaijan-Russia media relations and friendship between the two peoples.

The council reiterated that insulting statements and threats directed against Azerbaijan, its people and prominent representatives are unacceptable.

It also stated that the systematic appearance of such materials despite the strict legal regulation of Russia’s information space amounts to their endorsement at the level of Russian state policy.

The Azerbaijan Press Council once again reminded those responsible for such statements that they may face legal liability.

Azerbaijan’s Tural Ahmadov has won a bronze medal, while Javidan Nehmatov has claimed silver at the 2026 U20 World Wrestling Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, AzerNEWS reports.

The first medals in Greco-Roman wrestling were awarded on the second day of the competition.

Competing in the 63kg weight category, Tural Ahmadov secured his place on the podium after defeating Finland’s Matias Arpiaynen 8-0 in the repechage bout. In the evening session, Ahmadov faced Ecuador’s Klizman Velis in the bronze-medal match and prevailed 2-1 in a closely contested bout to win the bronze medal.

Meanwhile, Cavidan Nehmatov competed in the 77kg category and reached the final, where he faced Armenia’s Samvel Terteryan. The bout ended 1-1, with Terteryan awarded the victory under the first-point rule.

As a result, Nehmatov finished the tournament with a silver medal, giving Azerbaijan two medals in Greco-Roman wrestling on the second day of the 2026 U20 World Wrestling Championships.

Wrestling holds a prominent place in Azerbaijan’s sporting culture and is overseen by the National Wrestling Federation, which was established in 1993.

The country has built an impressive record in wrestling at major international events. At the Rio Olympics, Azerbaijan was among just two nations to improve its medal haul at five successive Olympic Games.

Azerbaijani freestyle wrestlers also delivered a strong performance at the 2020 Individual World Cup in Serbia, securing one silver and one bronze medal. Their results helped Azerbaijan finish third in the overall medal standings, behind Russia and Turkiye.

At the 2022 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Osman Nurmagomedov captured the 92kg freestyle title after defeating a Russian opponent in the final.

Azerbaijan continued its Olympic success at the Paris 2024 Games, where its wrestlers collected three bronze medals. Hasrat Jafarov took bronze in the 67kg Greco-Roman category, while Giorgi Meshvildishvili and Magomedkhan Magomedov finished third in the 125kg and 97kg freestyle events, respectively.

The country has also established itself as an experienced host of international wrestling competitions. Baku, Ganja and other Azerbaijani cities have staged European and World Championships as well as youth tournaments, offering modern sporting facilities and venues capable of accommodating athletes from around the world.

In August 2026, the European Union launched a new transport connectivity platform aimed at linking Europe with Central Asia through the Black Sea and the South Caucasus.

According to the Europe-Caucasus-Asia Transport Corridor (TRACECA), EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that cargo volumes along the Trans-Caspian route could increase fivefold over the next 15 years.

Together with international financial institutions, the EU plans to mobilize approximately pound 2 billion for infrastructure development in the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus.

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are highlighted as the key participants in the development of the corridor.

Kazakhstan has invested $35 billion in transport infrastructure over the past seven years and has indicated that it plans to continue investing in the sector to strengthen its position as one of the key links between China and Europe.

International financial institutions are also actively involved in the development of the Trans-Caspian route. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the International Finance Corporation are providing approximately $300 million to finance the construction of a 75-kilometre railway bypass around Almaty in Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, the country’s road modernization programme is valued at $1.5 billion.

Kazakhstan has also expanded the capacity of its Caspian Sea ports. Projects implemented at the ports of Aktau and Kuryk have increased their combined cargo-handling capacity to 21.6 million tonnes per year.

At the same time, Azerbaijan and Georgia are working to increase the capacity of the Port of Baku and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which would facilitate the transportation of goods to Trkiye and European markets.

Despite these infrastructure developments, cargo volumes along the Middle Corridor remain relatively modest. In 2024, approximately 4.5 million tonnes of cargo were transported along the route, while the figure rose to 4.7 million tonnes in 2025. The target is to increase annual cargo volumes to 11 million tonnes by 2030.

For the European Union, the Middle Corridor is strategically important as an alternative route for transporting goods from China without relying on the traditional route through Russia. For China, meanwhile, the corridor provides an opportunity to diversify its supply routes to European markets while strengthening its economic presence in Central Asia and the South Caucasus.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Tuesday that United States President Donald Trump’s “delusion” regarding the authority over the Strait of Hormuz will have to be “corrected”.

“Just as Trump correctly wrote the name of the eternal Persian Gulf, soon his delusion regarding the Strait of Hormuz will either be corrected or we will correct the delusions of this deluded man,” Gharibabadi said in a post on X.

The Iranian official’s remarks followed a post by the US president, in which he called the waterway a US territory.

Russia summoned Japan’s ambassador following Tokyo’s protest over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Iturup, one of the disputed Kuril Islands, in August 2026, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, a formal protest was conveyed to the Japanese ambassador in Moscow. Russian officials reiterated that Russia’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Southern Kuril Islands are “unshakable.”

Putin’s visit to Iturup triggered a strong reaction from Tokyo. The Japanese government lodged a protest, describing the visit as unacceptable and saying it contradicted Japan’s position on the territories it calls the “Northern Territories.”

Japan subsequently summoned the Russian ambassador over the visit.

The Kuril Islands have remained at the center of a territorial dispute between Russia and Japan since the end of World War II. Japan claims four islands – Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai Islands – and refers to them as the Northern Territories. Russia considers the islands part of its territory and maintains that the issue of their sovereignty is settled.

The territorial dispute has prevented Moscow and Tokyo from signing a postwar peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities between the two countries.