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Posts tagged as “Iran”

Sotto, Ramos Lead Gilas Pilipinas to Crucial Home Win Over Iran (68 – 56)

August 31, 2026
Sotto, Ramos Lead Gilas Pilipinas to Crucial Home Win Over Iran (68 – 56)

In a high-stakes clash during the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers, Gilas Pilipinas erased an early 13-point deficit to defeat long-time regional rival Iran, 68–56, before a raucous crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena. The Philippines turned a slow start into a decisive victory, driven by a dominant second-half defensive lockdown and a late 14–2 run.

Kai Sotto served as the ultimate game-changer for Gilas, posting a monster double-double with 13 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, and a game-high 22 efficiency rating while dominating the paint. Dwight Ramos sparked the initial comeback by scoring seven consecutive points late in the second quarter, finishing tied with Juan Gómez de Liaño for a team-high 16 points along with 7 rebounds and 2 steals.

The victory improves Gilas Pilipinas to a 4–4 record in Group E. More importantly, it narrows the gap between the Philippines and the upper-tier teams—putting Gilas just one win behind both Jordan and Iran (5–3). Psychologically, sweeping this home window provides momentum and proves the squad’s tactical execution under pressure.

Full game highlights

Gilas Path to Direct World Cup Qualification
To earn direct entry into the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar, Gilas Pilipinas must navigate the following conditions in the upcoming qualifier windows;

  • Secure a Top-3 Group E Finish: Asia-Oceania gets 7 direct slots outside host Qatar. Gilas must overtake either Jordan or Iran to grab the 3rd seed, or finish as the highest-ranked 4th-place team across Group E and Group F.
  • Capitalize on Crossover Matches: Gilas must sweep remaining matchups against lower-ranked teams like Syria and steal key road games against Iran and Jordan in upcoming windows.
  • Protect Point Differential: FIBA tiebreakers rely heavily on head-to-head records and net point margins, making every point crucial in close Group E standings.

The fifth window of the second round is set from the November 27th thru the 30th, where the Philippines will face Syria and Iran.

Iran to allow Philippine-bound and Philippine-flagged ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz

April 2, 2026

Cristina Chi via @PhilstarNews;

BREAKING: Iran assures the Philippines that it will allow Philippine-bound and Philippine-flagged ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Department of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement Thursday, April 2, that Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi today to discuss “stronger bilateral cooperation on all fronts.”

“During the call, the Iranian Foreign Minister assured the Secretary that Iran will allow the safe, unhindered, and expeditious passage through the Strait of Hormuz of Philippine-flagged vessels, energy sources, and all Filipino seafarers,” the DFA says.

Great work by our DFA specially Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro!

This should “hopefully” limit further petrol price hikes in the country.

Breaking: Iranian Forces Launch Attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar

June 24, 2025

Iran today launched a missile attack targeting the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, a major U.S. military installation. The attack, which Iran’s Tasnim news agency called “Annunciation of Victory,” comes as a direct retaliation for recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Loud explosions and flares were reported over Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Monday evening as the Qatari air defense systems, in coordination with the U.S., successfully intercepted the incoming short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. Qatari and U.S. officials swiftly confirmed that there were no casualties or injuries at the base, and minimal to no damage was reported to the facility itself.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officially claimed responsibility for the attack, stating it was a “devastating and powerful” response to what it characterized as “America’s aggression.”

Reports indicate that Iran had warn Qatar regarding the impending attack, a move that analysts suggest points to a desire to demonstrate capability without causing widespread casualties, potentially aiming for de-escalation rather than all-out conflict. This pre-notification, along with the successful interceptions, allowed for precautionary measures to be taken, including temporary closures of Qatari airspace and advisories for U.S. citizens to shelter in place. In a report by NDTV, several other Gulf countries, including Kuwait, Iraq, UAE, and Bahrain, also temporarily closed their airspace as a precaution.

Al Udeid Air Base is the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East, serving as the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and a critical hub for U.S. operations across the region. It hosts approximately 10,000 U.S. service members, along with Qatari, British, and other allied forces. The base’s strategic importance underscores the gravity of Iran’s direct targeting of the facility.

Reactions to the attack have been swift. Saudi Arabia condemned the “unjustifiable” Iranian aggression, affirming its solidarity and full support for Qatar. Qatar’s Ministry of Defence “considered this a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar, its airspace, international law, and the United Nations Charter.”

Gilas Pilipinas advances to semifinals of the 19th Asian Games by beating Iran (84 – 83)

October 3, 2023
Gilas Pilipinas advances to semifinals of the 19th Asian Games by beating Iran (84 – 83)

Gilas Pilipinas advance to semifinals of the 19th Asian Games after a thrilling game against Iran (84-83) in the quarterfinals of the 19th Asian Games men’s basketball tournament on Tuesday, October 3, 2023 at the Zhegiang University Zijingang Stadium in Hangzhou, China.

The last time that Philippines qualified for the semifinals of the Asian Games was in 2002, that’s 21 years ago. This was during the 2002 Busan Asian Games, the Men’s Philippine team are just a few seconds away from clinching the game and for a Finals berth at the Asian Games,, Olsen Racela missed two freethrows, that could have sealed the game but South Korea’s Lee Sang-min won the game for S.Korean with his buzzer-beating three (69-68).

Justin Brownlee led the scoring for Gilas Pilipinas with 36 points, 8 rebs and 4 assists. Brownless also got a much needed rest in their game against Qatar. Junmar Fajardo is the second leading scorer for Gilas making 18 pts, 8 rebs and 4 assists. Scottie Thompson added 11 points and 6 rebounds.

Iran on the other hand was lead by Mohammadsina Vahedi with his 24 pts, then followed by Navid Rezaeifar who chipped in 14 pts, 2 rebs and 7 assists.

Gilas Pilipinas got off to a strong start, leading as many as 9 points in the opener and ending the quarter with a 6 pts lead (28-22). Gilas ended the first half on a strong note by limiting the Iranians to just 14 2nd-qtr points and ending the first half with a 12 point cushion. In the second half, Gilas lead by as many as 21 points in the third quarter, 62-41, with 5:39 remaining the 3rd, and by 17 at the start of the fourth qtr, 71-54.

But in the final period, the Iranian almost made the comeback of the tournament by cutting the lead to just 3 pts, 72-75, with 5:18 left in the game and took the lead, 81-80, with 1:33 remaining in the game. But Junmar Fajardo grabbed a offensive rebound after Calvin Oftana missed a three-point shot, then making a 2 pts put back, to give the Philippine team a 1 point lead, 82-81. Navid Rezaeifar quickly regain the lead back with his 2 pts drive to the basket (82-83), with 01:02 remaining in the game. This is when Brownlee made his clutch jumper with 44 secs remaining that eventually sealed the game for the Philippine team (84-83).

The win will land Gilas in the final 4 of the 19th Asian Games and they will face China in the semifinals for a shot at a medal at 8 pm on Wednesday, October 4th.

The Scores;

  • Philippines 84 – Brownlee 36, Fajardo 18, Thompson 11, Oftana 7, Perez 6, Kouame 4, Newsome 2, Alas 0, Tolentino 0, Aguilar 0.
  • Iran 83 – Vahedi 24, Rezaeifar 14, Mirzaeitalarposhti 12, Aghajanpour 11, Girgoorian 8, Mashayekhi 6, Kazemi 6, Pazirofteh 2, Shahrian Nasl 0, Gholizadeh Tousarani 0, Torabi 0.

Quarters: 28-22, 48-36, 71-54, 84-83.