A Bahraini court on Wednesday again rejected a request for bail from a Shiite opposition chief whose trial for allegedly seeking to overthrow the Sunni regime has sparked international concern.

The court in Manama ruled that Sheikh Ali Salman, the head of the Al-Wefaq association, should remain in detention during his trial, rejecting a second request for bail, a judicial source said.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards began naval exercises Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, just a few hundred kilometers away from western vessels engaged in the fight against the Islamic State group.

The three branches of the elite army of the Iranian regime are participating in the regular military exercises, dubbed "Great Prophet", off Qeshm Island.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard has begun large-scale naval and air defense drills near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

State TV showed the Guard's speedboats swarming a replica of a U.S. aircraft carrier and a drone being shot down. It showed the firing of four missiles, three of which hit the carrier.

Iran's support for Shiite rebels in Yemen "contributed" to the militia's takeover of the Yemeni capital and the collapse of the government, top U.S. diplomat John Kerry said Tuesday.

Speaking to U.S. lawmakers, Kerry agreed Tehran's support for the Huthi militia was "critical" in shoring up the rebels.

Russia voiced confidence on Tuesday that world powers and Iran would be able to reach a comprehensive accord over Tehran's disputed nuclear program by a June 30 final deadline.

Moscow's chief nuclear negotiator said after the latest round of talks between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad in Geneva that tangible progress was being made.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that Iran was a year away from making a nuclear bomb was contradicted by his secret services, according to reports Monday citing leaked documents.

The inconsistency was revealed in a cache of communications between South African intelligence services and their global partners -- including Israel's Mossad and America's CIA -- that were leaked to Qatar-based news network Al-Jazeera and Britain's The Guardian daily.

The United States and Iran said Monday they had made some progress in the latest round of talks on Tehran's nuclear program, but warned there was still a long way to go to reach a final deal.

Negotiators for Iran and six world powers have held a range of meetings in Geneva since Friday, and plan further talks in the city next week, a senior U.S. administration official said.

Iran is seeking to open a "third front" against Israel using Hizbullah fighters on the Syrian Golan Heights, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.

Netanyahu said Tehran's alleged attempts to entrench itself along Israel's borders was one of the biggest emerging security threats facing Tel Aviv.

The Islamic State group said it carried out a double bombing that targeted the empty residence of Iran's ambassador to Libya on Sunday.

A security official said no one was hurt in the latest attack on a diplomatic mission in Tripoli, where most embassies have been shut since summer 2014 as rival militias battle for control of the city.

Hizbullah has reportedly supervised and funded fighters planning to target U.S. interests in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab of Emirates and Jordan.

Sources told the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat on Sunday that there is new evidence proving Iran's involvement with al-Qaida and Nusra Front after Tehran embraced a number of fighters scheming to attack U.S. interests in Riyadh, Dubai and Amman.