Iran

Naim Qassem to Uphold Hassan Nasrallah's Path

In his first address as Hezbollah’s new Secretary General, Naim Qassem said on Wednesday that he will follow in the footsteps of his slain predecessor Hassan Nasrallah by pursuing the same policy of supporting Gaza through the south Lebanon front. “My program (as new secretary general) will be a perpetuation of Nasrallah’s work in all ...

Iran Slams Germany, EU over Criticism of Dual National's Execution

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday slammed his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock and EU chief Josep Borrell over their critism of Iran's execution of Iranian-German Jamshid Sharmahd. On Monday, Iran executed 69-year-old German-Iranian Sharmahd, who was sentenced to death in February 2023 for the capital offence of "corruption on ...

Bassil’s Meeting with Iranian FM Envoy Raises Eyebrows

The head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), MP Gebran Bassil, met on Tuesday with the Iranian Foreign Minister’s special envoy for Middle Eastern affairs, Mohammad Reza Sheibani. Officially, the meeting was aimed at discussing the ongoing war in Lebanon and its repercussions, according to Lebanese news agencies. However, Bassil’s meeting ...

Will Israel’s ‘Symbolic’ Response to Iran Ease Lebanon’s Crisis?

Israel’s response to Iran’s Oct.1 missile attack signals a marked shift from the previous phase, easing widespread concerns in Lebanon and internationally that Tel Aviv might push the region toward a broader conflict. Reports indicate that a US-brokered arrangement between the two sides has defused the immediate threat of war, with further ...

X Suspends Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei's New Account

The social media network X on Monday suspended an account that published Hebrew-language messages on behalf of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, just days after it was opened. The account had a short notice reading "X suspends accounts which violate the X Rules," though the Elon Musk-owned platform did not specify which rule had been ...

War in the Middle East: Tackling the Root Cause

After more than three weeks of negotiations and intense discussions between Washington and Tel Aviv, Israel launched its response to the October 1 missile attack by the Islamic Republic of Iran. This response took place overnight Friday to Saturday, underscoring the Biden administration’s apparent reluctance to destabilize the Iranian ...

IRGC Chief Warns Israel of ‘Bitter Consequences’ After Attack

The top commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) has warned Israel it would face "bitter consequences" after its attack on Iranian military sites, local media said on Monday. Guards chief Hossein Salami, quoted by Tasnim news agency, said Israel had "failed to achieve its ominous goals" with its air raids on ...

War Equivocations

The Israeli-Iranian wars continue on an unhindered course, and the likelihood of an imminent resolution is minimal. There is little chance for a negotiated outcome unless the Iranian proxies are defeated and the power equations are irreversibly changed. The truce proposals broadcasted by the United States, France, the European Union and the United ...

UN Security Council Emergency to Meet on Monday After Iran Request

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday at Iran's request following Israel's deadly missile strikes in retaliation for an October 1 attack by Tehran. The Swiss presidency of the UNSC said Sunday that the meeting would take place following the request by Iran, supported by Algeria, China and Russia. Earlier on ...

Iran Says Will Respond “With Wisdom” to Israel, Khamenei Comments Attacks

In his first reaction to the Israeli airstrikes that hit military targets in Iran on Saturday, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian stated that his country “will respond to any act of foolishness with wisdom and intelligence,” according to Iran International. He also mourned the loss of four Iranian soldiers in the Israeli strikes, ...

Israel Announces End of Strikes Against Military Compounds in Iran

Shortly before 6 a.m. on Saturday, the Israeli army announced the end of its nightly air strike against Iran. The attack lasted almost three hours and was carried out in three waves, during which Iranian military sites were targeted - 20 according to the New York Times. For the time being, it is not possible to comment on the impact or damage ...

At Least Ten Killed in Suspected Terror Attack on Iranian Police in Sistan-Baluchistan Region

At least ten people were killed on Saturday in southeastern Iran in a “terrorist attack” in a tense area of Sistan-Baluchistan, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan, local media reported. “Ten people were killed in a terrorist attack on police cars in Taftan county,” local news agencies Mehr and Tasnim reported, without specifying the ...