Iran claims retaliation strike on US base; Ukraine nears EU loan; Canada buys Swedish aircraft

Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced early Wednesday that it had attacked a U.S. military base in retaliation for a U.S. strike on military installations in the strategic port city of Bandar Abbas. The U.S. Central Command (Centcom) confirmed the U.S. strike to the BBC earlier in the morning. The Revolutionary Guard did not specify which U.S. base was targeted in their statement, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency via Reuters.

In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has submitted a legislative proposal that moves the country closer to securing a crucial 90 billion euro loan from EU countries. This funding is intended to support the war effort against Russia and maintain the functioning of Ukrainian society. The EU member states had previously agreed on this loan framework on April 23, overcoming months of political deadlock, notably with Hungary's former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Canada has announced its intention to acquire surveillance and early warning aircraft from the Swedish defense group Saab, rejecting a competing bid from American manufacturer Boeing. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that Saab's GlobalEye aircraft, equipped with advanced sensors and mission systems, would be a key asset for the Canadian Armed Forces. This decision signals a preference for European defense technology in Canada's military modernization efforts.