Miami: The US military executed strikes on three vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean, allegedly involved in narco-trafficking, resulting in the deaths of eight people, as announced by the US Southern Command.

According to Anadolu Agency, the operation, conducted on Monday, was overseen by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and executed by Joint Task Force Southern Spear in international waters. Intelligence had identified these vessels as utilizing known narco-trafficking routes. The strikes resulted in the deaths of eight individuals, identified as narco-terrorists, with three fatalities on the first vessel, two on the second, and three on the third. This information was shared on US social media platform X.

In other developments, US President Donald Trump expressed satisfaction with the progress made in negotiations for a Ukraine peace deal. A US official involved in the talks reported that a significant portion of the issues between Ukraine and Russia have been resolved, although some matters still require further negotiation. The official emphasized that multiple solutions are being proposed to bridge the remaining gaps.

Additionally, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has upheld its decision to continue investigating war crimes in Gaza, rejecting an Israeli appeal. The appeals chamber reaffirmed an earlier ruling, maintaining that the investigation pertains to the same armed conflicts involving the same territories and parties as those already under examination. Israel had contended that changes in the conflict's scale post-October 2023 necessitated new legal obligations, which the ICC dismissed.

These events highlight significant international security and diplomatic developments, reflecting ongoing global tensions and efforts to address them.