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'Nothing left but ashes' - Rasht market torched by 'armed terrorists' as unrest grips northern Iran

'Nothing left but ashes' - Rasht market torched by 'armed terrorists' as unrest grips northern Iran

"Iranian state media aired footage on Monday showing extensive destruction at Rasht’s main market in northern Iran, which officials said was set ablaze. The footage filmed both by drone and from the ground, shows large sections of the market destroyed by fire. The broadcaster said the images were recorded 72 hours after the blaze. State media described the market as a key source of income for hundreds of families, saying it now 'sinks in bitter silence'. “It was the holiday season, so we had prepared everything and stocked the shop with goods and filled the warehouse. I swear to God, the losses in this place alone exceeded 15 to 20 billion tomans, and nothing is left but ashes,” a shop owner said. Official media accused 'armed terrorists' of carrying out the arson attack. No independent confirmation was available regarding the cause of the fire. Iran has been experiencing widespread protests since late December, beginning in Tehran and later spreading to other cities, driven by worsening economic conditions and the sharp decline of the Iranian rial against the US dollar. In several locations, protests have escalated into riots and vandalism targeting public property. State media has reported that more than 100 police officers have been killed since the unrest began, a figure that could not be independently verified. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian announced economic plans to deal with the 'people's demands' on Sunday, but also accused the US of trying to 'sow chaos and disorder'. On Friday, Donald Trump told Iran's authorities they "better not start shooting, because we'll start shooting too", having previously warned that he could intervene following any potential crackdown."

'It means Third World War!' - Hungary's Szijjarto warns of NATO-Russia confrontation, slams UK, France over troops to Ukraine

'It means Third World War!' - Hungary's Szijjarto warns of NATO-Russia confrontation, slams UK, France over troops to Ukraine

"Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto slammed the UK and France over their plans to send troops to Kiev, claiming that the two nations are dragging Europe into the war between Ukraine and Russia. "Europe's two nuclear powers, France and Great Britain, have announced that they are going to war. Their announcement, though phrased in a tricky, diplomatic way, that they are sending troops to Ukraine, means nothing less than that they are effectively starting the war," he said. Szijjarto added that their decisions will bring a critical risk of a direct conflict erupting between NATO and Russia. "If a direct confrontation arises between NATO and Russia, that means nothing less than a Third World War," he stated. The foreign minister also claimed that the EU wants to force Hungary to take money from its budget to 'send it to Ukraine'. "The question now is: with the two nuclear powers in Western Europe effectively declaring the start of war, will they drag us into this war from the West? They can only fail to drag us into the war if Fidesz wins the election in early April. If we do not win, then we will be dragged into the war from the West," he added. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and France's Emmanuel Macron signed a joint declaration with Ukraine on deploying troops to the country post-ceasefire - and were the only two of nearly 30 nations in the 'Coalition of the Willing' to do so. The French president added that it would be a 'reassurance force' and far away from the line of contact."