Iran

Nuclear Issue: Giving Up Uranium Enrichment, a Red Line for Iran

“We will not yield,” said Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejecting any compromise on uranium enrichment, a major point of contention with Western countries over Iran’s nuclear program. AFP reviews Tehran’s firm stance just days before a possible return of UN sanctions against Iran. Why does Tehran insist on ...

Khamenei Says Iran 'Won't Yield' to Pressure to Abandon Uranium Enrichment

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Tuesday said the Islamic republic would not give in to pressure to abandon its enrichment of uranium. Khamenei, in a televised address, also called any talks with the United States a "dead end" that would be of no benefit to his country. His statement came as European powers seeking ...

Trump Attacks UN and Europe in Blistering Comeback

US President Donald Trump relentlessly mocked the United Nations on Tuesday in his first address since his White House comeback, blasting it for failing to bring peace and claiming the world body encourages illegal migration. In his return to the UN General Assembly podium, Trump accused the UN of fostering an "assault" through migration on ...

Tehran’s Grip on Lebanon: Will the Shia Duo Break Free or Fall in Line?

On the eve of the first anniversary of the September war, Israel escalated its strikes. A raid on Bint Jbeil on Sunday killed five civilians, including three children, and wounded two others. The attack has reignited speculation over the possible activation of “Plan B,” as outlined by US Senator Lindsey Graham, who declared that Hezbollah’s ...

IAEA Chief Warns of Challenges in Iran Nuclear Talks, Sees Hope for Diplomacy

Discussions with Iran over its nuclear program are at a “difficult juncture,” the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, acknowledged Monday, while leaving open the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough by the end of the week. “Clearly, this is a rather difficult moment,” Grossi said in an ...

Iran’s Top General Warns of “Strategic Surprises” Amid Sacred Defense Week

The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, issued a stern warning on Monday, asserting that the country is prepared to deliver “strategic surprises” in response to any attack. In a message marking the commencement of Sacred Defense Week, he emphasized Iran’s growing deterrent capabilities and stated ...

IAEA Says Iran Nuclear Diplomacy at a "Difficult Juncture"

The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, told AFP Monday that diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program were at a "difficult juncture," but dialogue would continue. The UN Security Council voted on Friday to reimpose UN sanctions that had been frozen, after three European governments activated the ...

US Offers $10 Million for Data on Hezbollah’s Financial Networks

The US State Department’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program offers up to $10 million for any information regarding Hezbollah’s financial networks, particularly in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. According to the State Department, Hezbollah financiers and operatives in this region generate revenue for the Iran-aligned group through illicit ...

Apocalypticism and War Ending 

The paradoxes of the Islamic summit are blatant and quite equivocal. One wonders what elicited this mobilization after two years of apathy and diplomatic inaction. An early summit could have spared Gaza and its population the tragedies brought about by the apocalyptic vision of Hamas, the cynicism of its handlers and leaders and their ruinous ...

The Deception of the Obstructionist Axis: Did You Say ‘Resistance’?

A textbook example of deceit and blatant bad faith — that’s how one could describe the speech delivered late last week by Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Sheikh Naim Qassem. With a straight face, he called on Saudi Arabia to “open a new page in its relations with the resistance,” and he added, almost innocently, that “the weapons of the ...

UN Security Council Rejects Bid to Stop Iran Sanctions “Snapback”

The U.N. Security Council on Friday voted down a resolution that sought to prevent the automatic reimposition of sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program, just days before world leaders gather for the annual U.N. summit. The draft, introduced by South Korea, fell short of the nine votes needed. Only China, Russia, Pakistan, and Algeria backed ...