Iran

Iran Guards Hail Gaza Ceasefire as 'Victory' for Palestinians

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Thursday hailed a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Israel and the Hamas militant group as a "victory" for Palestinians and a "defeat" for Israel. "The end of the war and the imposition of a ceasefire... is a clear victory and a great victory for Palestine and a bigger defeat for the monstrous Zionist regime," the ...

Marjane Satrapi Rejects French Honor over Iranian Hypocrisy

French-Iranian author and illustrator Marjane Satrapi, best known for the book and film Persepolis, has refused the French Legion of Honor over the country’s "hypocrisy" in its dealings with Iran. In a letter to France's culture minister posted on social media on Monday, Satrapi said she would not accept the top state award at a ceremony ...

Iranian President Warns Trump Against Risk Of ‘War'

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian warned Donald Trump against the risk of a ‘war’ against the Islamic Republic, reaffirming that Iran was not ‘seeking’ to acquire nuclear weapons, in an interview with a US television channel on Tuesday. ‘I hope that (President-elect Donald) Trump will lead to regional and world peace and will not, on ...

Iran Again Closes Schools and Offices to Conserve Power

Iran has ordered schools and public buildings in a third of the country's provinces, including Tehran, to close on Saturday, as several power plants remain shut down by fuel shortages. Despite Iran's huge oil and gas reserves, the country hit by years of international sanctions has been forced to ration electricity in recent months as ...

Thousands of IRGC Militiamen in Iran March Against 'Threats'

Thousands of fighters linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps paraded with heavy weapons and vehicles through the streets of Tehran on Friday showing their readiness to face "threats". The parade by paramilitary Basij volunteers comes after the weakening of Iran's allies Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, during wars ...

Iran Population Ageing Fast, Bucking Government Efforts

Iran's once-youthful population is aging fast, fuelling economic fears as cash-strapped couples resist a government push for more children. Driven by rising life expectancy and dramatically declining birth rates, Iran's demographic makeup has shifted over the years, mirroring trends across much of the world. The National Population ...

Iran Reports Swiss National Accused of Spying Committed Suicide in Prison

Iran's judiciary said a Swiss national accused of spying was found dead in prison in the eastern city of Semnan on Thursday, adding that he had taken his own life. "This morning, a Swiss citizen committed suicide in Semnan prison," the judiciary's Mizan Online website said, adding that he had been "arrested by security agencies for espionage and ...

Italian PM: Jailed Italian Reporter in Tehran Freed

An Italian journalist arrested in Iran and jailed for three weeks has been freed and is returning to Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said on Wednesday. "The plane taking journalist Cecilia Sala home took off from Tehran a few minutes ago" following "intense work through diplomatic and intelligence channels", Meloni's office said in ...

Iran Reportedly Executed at Least 901 People in 2024

Iranian authorities reportedly executed more than 900 people last year, including around 40 in a single week in December, the United Nations rights chief said on Tuesday. "It is deeply disturbing that yet again we see an increase in the number of people subjected to the death penalty in Iran year-on-year," Volker Turk said, adding that at least ...

France Asks Citizens to Avoid Iran Until 'Hostages' Released

France on Tuesday urged its citizens to avoid travelling to Iran until French nationals held there have been released. "The situation of our compatriots held hostage in Iran is quite simply unacceptable. They have been unjustly detained for several years, in unworthy conditions," Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, urging French nationals not ...

Iran Denies Beirut Airport Diplomat Inspection Incident

The Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee confirmed that Iranian diplomats were not subjected to any inspection at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport last Friday. Ebrahim Rezai, the committee’s spokesperson, clarified on Sunday, “The committee held an extensive four-hour session to investigate the ...

Equivocations

The situation in both Lebanon and Syria is still shrouded in ambiguities, deliberate equivocations, and malevolence. Nothing seems clear, and actors continue to operate in grey zones, let alone in the dark alleys that persist throughout.. The chances of negotiations and constructive engagement are quite narrow and are not part of the political ...