A Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed just minutes after takeoff from the 9th Main Jet Base in Balikesir, killing the pilot in a devastating military aviation disaster. Radio and radar contact with the aircraft were suddenly lost before the jet went down near the Istanbul-Izmir highway, triggering a massive emergency response.

The Middle East is on a knife-edge. In a move that has sent shockwaves from Washington to Israel, Iran has officially thrown down its "nuclear armour". Senior advisor Ali Shamkhani just declared a total ban on transferring Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile abroad, effectively killing a Russian-brokered deal before it even began. With 60&#37 enriched uranium sitting on Iranian soil, the "Nuclear Red Line" has been drawn. While the US and Israel demand the total removal of these materials, Tehran is signaling a different path; a conditional reduction to 20&#37 enrichment, but only if the West blinks first. WATCH