Iran

Iran Hands Down Prison Sentences to Two French Nationals for Spying

Iranian authorities on Tuesday handed down lengthy prison sentences to two French nationals after convicting them on multiple charges, including spying for Israel, the judiciary said. The two unidentified French nationals were arrested in March 2023, according to the judiciary's Mizan Online website, which did not provide details on the ...

Nasser Taghvai, Iranian Cinema Pioneer and Longtime Regime Critic, Passes Away

Prominent Iranian filmmaker Nasser Taghvai, widely known for his long struggle against censorship, Taghvai has died at the age of 84, his wife said Tuesday. "Nasser Taghvai, an artist who chose the difficulty of living freely, has earned his liberation," his wife, actor Marzieh Vafamehr, wrote on Instagram. Taghvai was born on July 13, 1941 in ...

After Gaza’s Deal, A Momentum in the Region for More Peace Stability in Syria, Lebanon?

U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for a peace deal to end the Gaza war has proven to be initially successful. He was able to bring together delegations from Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, Israel, and Hamas in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh in mid-October. In the wake of the deal, Trump flew to Israel and Egypt and chaired a peace summit ...

The Diplomatic Feat and Its Imponderables

President Trump has proven to be a tough dealmaker and a skillful negotiator who knows how to leverage whatever resources are at hand to promote and sustain peace processes against all odds. His diplomatic approach is based on the common sense of a businessman turned politician at the helm of an “imperial republic.” His hard-nosed realism ...

Washington Targets Iraqi Firm and Olympic Chief With Sanctions Over Iran Links

The US Treasury on Thursday ramped up its Iran-related sanctions, targeting a firm with ties to Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq and the president of Iraq's Olympic Committee. In a statement, the Treasury Department accused these militias of helping "the Iranian regime in evading U.S. sanctions, smuggling weapons, and engaging in widespread ...

US Sanctions Over 50 Entities Linked to Iran’s Oil Exports

The US Treasury announced sanctions on more than 50 people, companies, and ships tied to Iran's oil sector on Thursday, stepping up its campaign against a key revenue source for Tehran. The actions were aimed at people who help to facilitate Iran's shipments of liquified petroleum gas and include a Chinese port and a China-based "teapot" oil ...

Iran Summons EU Envoys Over Bloc's 'Interventionist' Stance

Iran summoned envoys from European Union member states to protest the bloc's "interventionist" statements on contested islands in the Strait of Hormuz as well as the Islamic republic's nuclear program, local media reported Wednesday. Iran considers the islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa, all near the strategic Strait of Hormuz in ...

How Much Do Iran’s Proxies Really Cost?

A US Treasury delegation has begun a series of meetings in Beirut with the Central Bank, several commercial banks, and government officials. The mission’s goal is straightforward: to assess how effectively sanctions meant to curb Hezbollah’s financing are being enforced on the ground. This timing of the visit is significant.  On September ...

Iran Says Cooperation with UN Nuclear Watchdog 'No Longer Relevant'

Iran's top diplomat said Sunday that cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog was no longer relevant following the reimposition of international sanctions on the Islamic republic. "The Cairo agreement is no longer relevant for our cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)," Foreign Minister Abbas ...

After Gaza, Eyes Turn to Hezbollah and Iran

Donald Trump has unveiled his peace plan for Gaza. The Israelis accepted it, and the international community applauded – sometimes hesitantly, but applauded nonetheless. The question now is Hamas. The group remains undecided. We are not immune to yet another historic misstep on their part – one more in a long series – that could prolong ...

US Sanctions Iranian 'Weapons Networks' after UN Reimposes Restrictions

The United States has sanctioned an alleged Iranian weapons procurement network supporting the country's ballistic missile program following the UN decision to reimpose sanctions on Tehran, the Treasury Department announced Wednesday. Washington said it was targeting 21 companies and 17 individuals who "pose a significant threat to US service ...

This Week on This is America: Hezbollah, Gaza, Israel, Iran

On this week’s episode of This is America, we cover the 21-Point Plan for Gaza, the Trump and Netanyahu meeting, and the disarming of Hezbollah. We also feature an exclusive interview with David Schenker, Taube Senior Fellow and Director of the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics at The Washington Institute, to discuss the ...