Albania’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his victory in the parliamentary elections. In a post published on its official X account, the Albanian ministry noted that the Armenian people have entrusted Pashinyan with a clear mandate to continue leading the country on a path of peace, stability, and democratic transformation.

“Congratulations to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on this significant victory and the clear mandate entrusted to him by the Armenian people to continue leading the country on a path of peace, stability, and democratic transformation. A strong affirmation of a clear vision, courage, and leadership in advancing ambitious institutional and societal reforms, strengthening democratic governance, and bringing Armenia ever closer to the European family of values. We look forward to working closely together to further deepen the excellent relations between our two countries, strengthen our dialogue and cooperation, and advance our shared commitment to peace, democracy, and a stronger European future for our peoples,” the Albanian Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs stated.

Armenia’s Ambassador to Bulgaria Tsovinar Hambardzumyan has held an official meeting with Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Hristo Polendakov, the Armenian Embassy in Bulgaria reported.

The deputy minister congratulated the ambassador on the successful organisation and conduct of the parliamentary elections held in Armenia on 7 June.

During the meeting, the deputy minister spoke highly of bilateral relations with Armenia, noting that they are built on longstanding historical and cultural ties between the two peoples and have recently been reinforced by the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership signed on 3 May by Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Hristo Polendakov noted that Bulgaria highly values Armenia’s continued commitment to European values and democratic reforms, despite an unstable security environment and a complex regional and geopolitical context, and expressed readiness to share Bulgaria’s knowledge and experience.

The two sides discussed prospects for expanding bilateral cooperation across a number of areas of mutual interest. Key topics included the need to strengthen trade and economic relations, Armenia’s participation in inter-regional energy and transport projects, as well as opportunities for innovation and investment promotion. The possibility of joining efforts to restore direct air routes between the two countries was also discussed.

US Chargé d’Affaires in Armenia David Allen has visited Syunik Province to highlight various areas of Armenian-American cooperation, the US Embassy in Armenia said.

During the visit, Allen is scheduled to meet local officials, alumni of US exchange programmes, Peace Corps volunteers, representatives of civil society, students and US partners.

At the American Corner in Kapan, Chargé d’Affaires Allen will present the “Founders Museum” exhibition. In Meghri, he will meet students participating in the US-funded ACCESS programme and visit the Meghri border area to learn more about ongoing cooperation efforts.

The visit also includes a stop at ContourGlobal’s office in Goris to discuss issues related to energy security and potential areas of cooperation.

According to the US Embassy, the visit is intended to highlight the growing partnership and continued cooperation between Armenia and the United States in expanding economic opportunities, deepening energy cooperation, advancing education and preserving cultural heritage.

The U.S. military launched airstrikes and Iran retaliated Wednesday following the crash of an Army helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz that U.S. President Donald Trump blamed on the Islamic Republic, The Associated Press reported.

Iran launched attacks in Bahrain and Kuwait, which both sounded alerts and fired air defenses in response. Iran also said it targeted an air base in Jordan hosting U.S. forces, which was not immediately acknowledged either by American or Jordanian officials.

Fighter jets from the U.S. Air Force and Navy conducted the strikes in Iran, the U.S. military’s Central Command said, targeting “air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites.” Iran acknowledged strikes around Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, but gave no details on the damage.

“The operation was a proportional response to recent attacks on U.S. forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters,” Central Command said.

Trump said earlier in a social media post that Iran had shot down the aircraft while it was on patrol over the strait and declared that the U.S. “must, of necessity, respond to this attack.” Iran’s top diplomat said foreign military forces near its territory “are at constant risk” and later vowed that there would be a response to the new U.S. strikes.

Iranian forces “will leave no attack or threat unanswered,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X. “Leave our region if you want to be safe.”

The downing of the Apache attack helicopter and the strikes by the U.S. military further strained a two-month ceasefire a day after Iran and Israel exchanged fire for the first time since the fragile truce took effect. Iranian state television said Tuesday that the Israeli attacks killed at least two members of the country’s air-defense units.

The Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter went down after colliding with an Iranian drone, according to a U.S. official, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

It wasn’t clear whether the collision was intentional, and official statements only said the crash is under investigation. CNN, CBS News and other outlets earlier reported the collision.

In the first known operation of its kind by the American military, a drone boat rescued two aviators at 3:30 a.m. local time Tuesday, about two hours after their aircraft went down during a patrol off the coast of Oman, U.S. Central Command said.

Trump said both service members were “safe and uninjured.”

The Jordanian military said it intercepted and shot down five missiles launched from Iran towards Azraq, adding that the operation “resulted in the fall of shrapnel without any human injuries or material damage,” local media reported.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed attacks on United States military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan in retaliation for US strikes on Iranian ports and islands in the Strait of Hormuz.

Al Jazeera cited the Kuwaiti military as saying that it was intercepting “hostile aerial targets” in the country’s airspace, without elaborating further.

The latest escalation followed U.S. military strikes on Qeshm Island and several ports along Iran’s coast on the Strait of Hormuz, after Washington accused Tehran of downing a U.S. Apache helicopter earlier on Tuesday.

Anti-immigrant protesters in the UK have taken to the streets on Tuesday, after a 30-year-old man believed to be from Sudan was charged with attempted murder following a knife attack in Northern Ireland that Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned as “horrific.”

Masked crowds gathered in various parts of Belfast on Tuesday evening, setting houses, a bus, cars and barricades on fire.

Social media video verified by CNN shows homes in the Northern Irish capital engulfed in flames as an emergency vehicle and firefighters run down the street. Tensions also boiled over in the neighboring town of Newtown Abbey, where protesters set two cars alight, according to video geolocated by CNN, and in Kilkeel where another car was set on fire.

Protests have also been reported across the water in other cities in England, Wales and Scotland.

Multiple people were forced to flee their homes in north Belfast on Tuesday evening, after the properties were set alight amid the outbreak of violence, according to the BBC.

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill said groups of masked men were “burning families out of their homes” in scenes of “outright thuggery.”

The protests flared after local police said Tuesday they had charged a man with attempted murder over the knife attack, which left another man hospitalized with wounds to his eyes, back and face.

The knife attack, which took place on Monday night in northern Belfast, was filmed by a witness and has since gone viral on social media. In the footage, a man can be seen pinning a visibly bloodied man to the ground and attacking him multiple times before bystanders and police officers intervened.

Anti-immigrant and right-wing accounts on social media, particularly X, seized on the video, with many calling for protests.

Multiple Northern Ireland leaders have since condemned the violence that broke out on the streets.

“The attack in North Belfast was heinous and wrong. But there are dangerous attempts to exploit that to target and attack innocent people who are simply trying to live, work and raise their families here,” First Minister O’Neill posted to X.

“Racism, intimidation and violence are wrong wherever they occur.”

Starmer called Monday night’s knife attack “horrific” and “sickening,” adding that he had “absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets.”

Mushegh Hovsepyan of Armenia has been elected to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) from among 15 candidates.

His election marks the first time that an Armenian expert will serve on the Committee, according to a press release from Armenia’s Permanent Mission to the UN.

“Armenia remains committed to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities,” the Mission said.

As a result of the construction of the 60 km road section from Sisian to Kajaran, the existing route will be shortened by approximately 54 km, the Road Department said in a press release.

The agency responsible for road infrastructure development added that the project will include 27 large and small bridges, 9 tunnels, 3 transport interchanges, and more than 100 artificial structures.

The 60 km road section to be built along the new Sisian–Kajaran alignment of the North–South project is of key importance for the development of Armenia’s transport infrastructure. With the construction of the Sisian–Kajaran section, a modern road meeting international standards and equipped with advanced safety systems will be created. Trade turnover and competition are expected to increase, transportation costs for freight and passengers will decrease, markets will become more accessible, and improved transport conditions will be provided for residents of nearby communities. New utility infrastructure will also be installed in affected communities, and transit freight flows through Armenia are expected to increase.

To ensure effective implementation of the project, land acquisition and compensation processes are underway. In particular, 576 land plots are affected in the 60 km Sisian–Kajaran road section, according to a government decision. Of these, 484 plots (84%) are located in the northern section and 92 (16%) in the southern section. Out of the 576 affected plots, 190 (33%) have already been acquired by the Republic of Armenia. For 150 of the remaining 386 plots (26%), draft acquisition agreements are being prepared, while valuation work is ongoing for the remaining 236 plots (41%).

The road will be built in three lots: the northern section (27.1 km), the Bargushat tunnel section (8.6 km), and the southern section (24.2 km).

Armenian Ambassador to Greece Tigran Mkrtchyan met with the Governor of the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace region, Christodoulos Topsidis.

According to the embassy’s readout, the meeting focused on interregional cooperation, the expansion of economic ties, and the development of connectivity.

Ambassador Mkrtchyan highlighted the importance of deepening cooperation between the regions of Armenia and Greece, particularly emphasizing prospects for partnership between Armenia’s Shirak Province and Greece’s Eastern Macedonia and Thrace region.

The Ambassador presented the Armenian government’s “Crossroads of Peace” initiative and the TRIPP project, addressing prospects for unblocking regional connectivity and creating new economic opportunities. The sides also discussed the export of Armenian products to European markets and the potential role of Greek infrastructure in facilitating these processes.

Governor Topsidis expressed readiness to develop cooperation with Armenia’s regions, emphasizing opportunities for joint participation in EU-funded interregional programs. He also highlighted the strategic importance of the region, including the role of the Port of Alexandroupolis and the airport in regional transport and logistics.

Both sides underlined the historical presence and contribution of the Armenian community to the development of the region and agreed to continue exploring opportunities for further cooperation.