Category: Azer News

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed it carried out a strike against a U.S. command center near the town of Al-Tanf in southern Syria, AzerNEWS reports.

According to a statement cited by the Iranian news agency Mehr, the attack destroyed a radar system and several specialized helicopters at the facility.

The IRGC also stated that Iran continues to maintain “full control” over the Strait of Hormuz, describing the strategic waterway as remaining under the control of Iranian forces.

Separately, Iranian media reported that the United States launched a missile strike on Iran’s Iranshahr Airport using fighter aircraft. According to Tasnim News Agency, three explosions were heard in the area.

No information has yet been released regarding possible casualties or damage to the airport’s infrastructure.

Paraguayan politician and businessman Rolando Segovia Páez has called for closer cooperation between Azerbaijan and Paraguay during his first official visit to Baku, emphasizing the untapped potential for expanding bilateral relations in trade, investment, education, and cultural exchange, AzerNEWS reports.

During his visit, Segovia Páez expressed support for establishing an Honorary Consulate of Azerbaijan in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay’s second-largest city and the economic center of the strategically important Triple Frontier region shared with Brazil and Argentina. According to him, such a diplomatic presence would contribute to raising Azerbaijan’s profile in Latin America while creating new opportunities for business cooperation and people-to-people contacts.

He noted that Ciudad del Este serves as one of Paraguay’s principal commercial hubs, making it well positioned to facilitate economic and investment partnerships between the two countries. Segovia Páez also stressed the importance of promoting academic and cultural cooperation, including initiatives that introduce Azerbaijan’s history, culture, tourism potential, and economic achievements to wider audiences in South America.

As part of his visit, Segovia Páez attended the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum, where he joined media representatives, policymakers, and experts from dozens of countries in discussions on the evolving global information landscape. He praised Azerbaijan for hosting the international event, describing the forum as an important platform for dialogue, the exchange of ideas, and strengthening cooperation among media professionals from different regions.

Segovia Páez also commended Azerbaijan’s growing international role, highlighting the country’s efforts to promote regional connectivity, intercultural dialogue, and balanced international engagement.

The visit reflects growing interest in expanding contacts between Azerbaijan and Latin America, with both sides exploring new avenues for cooperation across economic, educational, and cultural sectors.

American payment company Stripe and private equity firm Advent International are reportedly considering a joint acquisition of PayPal in a deal valued at more than $53 billion. If completed, the merger would create the world’s largest digital payments operator, with an annual payment volume of approximately $1.9 trillion, AzerNEWS reports.

According to sources, the companies submitted a preliminary proposal earlier in July to acquire PayPal on an equal ownership basis. The offer values PayPal shares at $60.50 each, representing a 28% premium over the company’s most recent closing stock price.

Founded in the late 1990s, PayPal was one of the pioneers of the digital payments industry. However, in recent years the company has experienced slower growth and increasing competition from services such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other emerging fintech platforms. As a result, PayPal’s market capitalization has fallen to around $36 billion, nearly ten times lower than its peak five years ago.

Despite these challenges, PayPal still serves more than 430 million active customer accounts worldwide. For Stripe, which has traditionally focused on merchants and online businesses, acquiring PayPal would provide direct access to a massive global consumer base while significantly strengthening its position in the digital payments market.

Industry analysts believe that, if finalized, the transaction could become one of the largest deals in fintech history. The combined company would be better positioned to compete with major technology firms, accelerate innovation in digital payments, and expand its range of financial services for both businesses and consumers.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Sok Chea, the newly appointed Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Kingdom of Cambodia to Azerbaijan, on July 17.

The ambassador presented his credentials to the head of state.

President Ilham Aliyev held a conversation with the diplomat.

President Ilham Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to bilateral relations and mutual support with Cambodia, as well as to active contacts at the level of both governments and ruling parties. Emphasizing the importance of elevating cooperation beyond the political sphere to include the economy and investment, the head of state noted that Azerbaijan and Cambodia are friendly nations.

Expressing his gratitude for the warm reception, Ambassador Sok Chea conveyed the greetings of His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia and Prime Minister Hun Manet to President Ilham Aliyev.

The head of state expressed his appreciation for the greetings and asked the ambassador to convey his best regards to the King and the Prime Minister of Cambodia.

The ambassador emphasized that Cambodia highly values its friendly relations with Azerbaijan. He noted that despite the geographical distance between the two nations, Azerbaijan and Cambodia share identical positions on key global issues, including sustainable development, international peace, and stability.

Highlighting the strong potential for strengthening bilateral cooperation, the ambassador pledged to spare no effort to expand ties in trade, tourism, culture, and people-to-people contacts.

During the meeting, the sides praised the successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and Cambodia within various international organizations.

They also expressed hope that the expected visit of Cambodia’s Prime Minister to Azerbaijan will create excellent opportunities to further expand bilateral relations.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei condemned the US attack on a location near a children’s cancer treatment centre, AzerNEWS reports.

Shahid Baqaei Hospital in Ahvaz was evacuated last night following the strike. “This barbaric attack, reminiscent of Israel’s atrocities against healthcare facilities, caused severe suffering and anxiety among the hospitalized children and forced the emergency evacuation of 211 patients undergoing chemotherapy,” the diplomat wrote on X on Thursday.

He called the incident a “cowardly war crime against the most innocent of human beings … who are bravely fighting for their lives.”

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said it has completed the latest wave of airstrikes across Iran. Air defenses, missile and drone sites, as well as coastal surveillance facilities, were struck in the newest round of US bombardment, CENTCOM revealed.

“CENTCOM used precision munitions to hit targets in multiple locations including Bandar Abbas,” the statement read.

In the meantime, Iranian forces responded with their own strikes on US assets in Kuwait and Bahrain, with reports also emerging of an attack in Jordan. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it downed an American MQ-9 drone over Andimeshk in the southern Khuzestan province.

A special performance of Uzeyir Hajibayli’s operetta ” The Cloth Peddler” has been staged at the Azerbaijan State Academic Musical Theatre to mark the 65th birthday of Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Nahida Orujova, AzerNEWS reports.

On the anniversary evening, Orujova herself took to the stage in the role of Jahan Khala, one of the operetta’s most beloved and colorful characters. Portraying the wise, kind-hearted, and witty relative of the main heroine, the actress once again brought to life one of the work’s most memorable comic figures. Renowned for her humor, insight, and distinct national character, Jahan Khala has long held a special place in the history of Azerbaijani musical theatre and remains a favorite among audiences.

Nahida Orujova is one of the leading actresses of the Azerbaijan State Academic Musical Theatre. Over the course of her distinguished career, she has created dozens of memorable stage characters, earning widespread recognition from both audiences and the professional theatre community. Her talent, artistic excellence, and longstanding dedication to the stage have been honored with numerous state awards and professional distinctions.

Following the performance, a ceremonial tribute was held in honor of the actress’s milestone birthday. Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Akbar Alizade spoke about Orujova’s creative journey, congratulated her on behalf of the theatre’s management and staff, and presented her with an Honorary Diploma of the Republican Committee of the Azerbaijan Trade Union of Culture Workers.

Joining the congratulations, Ilham Namig Kamal, People’s Artist of Azerbaijan and Deputy Chairman for Creative Affairs of the Union of Theatre Workers of Azerbaijan, wished Orujova continued artistic success and presented her with the “Teatr f?daisi” (Devotee of Theatre) Medal, recognizing her outstanding contribution to Azerbaijani theatre.

Kazakhstan transported 704,000 tons of crude oil through the Port of Aktau for export via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline in the first six months of 2026, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the monthly report of KazTransOil, the volume shipped through the Aktau port and the BTC route reached 108,000 tons in June, marking a 13.6% decline compared to the same month in 2025.

Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister Erlan Aqkenjenov has previously said the country plans to export between 1.5 million and 2.2 million tons of crude oil through the BTC pipeline in 2026.

For comparison, Kazakhstan exported 1.2 million tons of oil via the BTC pipeline in 2025, highlighting the country’s plans to further increase shipments through the strategic Caspian export route this year.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Csaba Lejko, President for the CIS and Central Asia at John Deere and Chief Executive Officer of John Deere Walldorf International GmbH, and Peter Sachse, Vice President for the CIS at John Deere, on July 16, AzerNEWS reports.

During the meeting, the participants fondly recalled President Ilham Aliyev’s meeting with Csaba Lejko in Baku last year.

The guests noted that the development they had witnessed in Azerbaijan had made a deep impression on them.

Touching upon John Deere’s successful operations in Azerbaijan, Csaba Lejko expressed the company’s interest in expanding cooperation with the country.

The sides emphasized Azerbaijan’s significant agricultural potential, highlighting the application of modern technologies in the sector. They also discussed the state’s efforts to support agricultural development and underscored the importance of the recently adopted State Program in this regard.

The meeting also focused on prospects for future cooperation between Azerbaijan and John Deere, with the sides noting the broad opportunities to expand collaboration across various areas of agriculture.

Founded in the United States in 1837, John Deere is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of agricultural, construction, and forestry machinery. The company operates factories and offices in more than 30 countries.

The U.S. State Department has approved a potential arms sale to Saudi Arabia involving up to 20,000 precision-guided missile kits with an estimated total value of $1.96 billion, according to the U.S. Foreign Ministry’s press service, AzerNEWS reports.

The Saudi government had previously submitted a request to purchase up to 10,000 APKWS-II (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System) laser-guided kits for air-to-air missile applications, as well as an additional 10,000 kits for air-to-ground missions. The State Department has now approved the possible agreement, with the total contract value estimated at nearly $2 billion.

The proposed deal also includes related military equipment, such as LAU-131 launchers, Mk-152 warheads, and other support systems. BAE Systems is expected to serve as the main contractor for the project.

The U.S. administration has formally notified Congress about the potential weapons sale. Under U.S. law, lawmakers have 30 days to review the agreement and decide whether to raise objections or attempt to block the transaction.

The planned sale comes as Saudi Arabia continues to modernize its armed forces and strengthen its defense capabilities amid growing security challenges in the Middle East. The APKWS-II system is considered a cost-effective precision weapon because it can transform standard unguided rockets into guided munitions, allowing for greater accuracy while reducing operational costs.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov departed for an official visit to the Russian Federation on July 16, AzerNEWS reports, citing the ministry.

The ministry said that, as part of the visit, Bayramov is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on July 17.

The talks are expected to focus on issues related to bilateral relations and other matters of mutual interest, although the ministry has not disclosed further details about the agenda.

The visit comes amid ongoing diplomatic engagement between Baku and Moscow on a range of regional and international issues.