Iran

UNIFIL Deputy Commander Injured in Attack by Hezbollah Supporters Near Beirut Airport

On Friday evening, a convoy carrying UNIFIL’s outgoing Deputy Commander, General Chok Bahadur Dhakal, was attacked by Hezbollah supporters near Beirut airport. General Dhakal sustained injuries and was hospitalized, while one of the three vehicles in the convoy was set on fire. Other members of the convoy were able to seek refuge within the ...

Tensions Heightened Between Lebanon and Iran Following the Iran Aircraft Issue

Tensions between Lebanon and Iran heightened on Friday after a Lebanese decision to prevent two Iranian planes from landing at Beirut’s International Airport (BIA), which led to protests along the airport road and required intervention from the Lebanese Army (LAF). The aircraft in question were operated by Mahan Air, a private Iranian ...

Tensions Over MEA Landing Requests in Tehran

The issue of the Iranian plane continues to stir tensions and the Lebanese Directorate General of Civil Aviation announced its intention on Thursday to send a plane to repatriate Lebanese nationals stranded in Tehran. According to several media outlets, Iranian authorities rejected Lebanon’s request to allow two Middle East Airlines (MEA) ...

The Hasanlu Lovers: An Embrace That Defies 3,000 Years of History

In 1973, a team of archaeologists excavating the ancient site of Teppe Hasanlu in Iran uncovered a discovery both startling and poignant. Amid the ruins of a city destroyed around 800 BCE, two skeletons lay locked in a final embrace, frozen in time by tragedy. Known as the Hasanlu Lovers, their remains continue to spark debate about their ...

Turkey spy chief in Tehran for talks on 'terror threats'

Turkey's spy chief, Ibrahim Kalin, has held talks in Tehran with his Iranian counterpart to discuss the fight against "terror" groups and the situation in Syria, state news agency Anadolu reported. Kalin met with Iran's Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib as well as security chief Ali Akbar Ahmadian, secretary of the Supreme ...

Iran Revolutionary Guards Unveil First Drone Carrier in Gulf

Iran's Revolutionary Guards unveiled the country's first drone carrier on Thursday in Gulf waters, state media reported. The carrier, called the Martyr Bahman Bagheri, is a commercial vessel that was repurposed as a drone carrier over the past two-and-a-half years, Guards naval commander Alireza Tangsiri said during the unveiling ...

Trump says to reinstate 'maximum pressure' on Iran, Tehran promises “failure”

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he was planning to reinstate what he called the "maximum pressure" policy against Iran over allegations that it is trying to develop nuclear weapons. However, Trump also said he hoped the policy will "hardly have to be used." Trump made the comment as he signed a memorandum reimposing the tough policy of ...

Araghchi Met Hamas Leaders in Qatar, Discussed the Reconstruction of Gaza

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Hamas leaders and discussed the reconstruction of Gaza during a visit to Qatar on Thursday, according to the Palestinian militant group, whose political office is in Doha. Senior leaders of Iran-backed Hamas attended the talks, including Shura advisory council leader Mohammed Darwish and chief negotiator ...

Iran says Ready for Nuclear Talks if West is 'Serious'

Iran is ready to discuss its nuclear programme if Western countries show they are "serious", the foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying in an interview published on Thursday. "We have said several times that we are ready for discussions, but only if the other side is serious about this," Esmaeil Baqaei told the government daily ...

The Messiah Wars: How Israel and Iran's Visions Shape Middle Eastern Politics

In the high-stakes chess game of Middle Eastern politics, a hidden force drives both Israel and Iran toward an eerily similar endgame, an unshakable belief that history is hurtling toward a divinely orchestrated climax. On one side, Israel’s religious circles whisper about the long-awaited Messiah, a figure destined to restore their ancient ...

Imminent Execution Threat for Two Iranian Opposition Members

Two Iranian men convicted of membership of the People's Mujahedin opposition group, outlawed by the Islamic republic, are at imminent risk of execution after being transferred to a different prison, the organisation and activists said on Monday. The men, Behrouz Ehsani, 69, and Mehdi Hassani, 48, a father of three, were moved without prior notice ...

Iran Arrests Two Young Women for Dancing in Cemetery

Iranian police arrested two young women after publication of a video in which they danced in a Tehran cemetery without adhering to the country's strict dress code, local media reported Friday. "Not long ago, two people, in the cemetery of martyrs in Tehran, disregarding the sacred site, recorded a video clip with inappropriate clothing and ...