Tehran

Erdogan Says Time to 'Eradicate' IS, Kurdish Fighters in Syria

Turkish president Recep Tayyib Erdogan said Friday it was time to destroy "terrorist" groups that posed a threat to Syria's survival, in reference to Islamic State group jihadists and Kurdish fighters. "Daesh, the PKK and their affiliates -- which threaten the survival of Syria -- must be eradicated," he told journalists while returning from a ...

Turkey, Iran Leaders at Muslim Summit in Cairo

The leaders of Turkey and Iran called on Thursday for unity in Syria at a summit of eight Muslim-majority countries after the ouster of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad. Turkey historically backed Assad's opponents, while Iran supported his rule. The gathering of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, also known as the ...

Tehran Malls Close Early to Save Energy: Media

Malls and shopping centres in Iran's capital will limit opening hours starting Tuesday, closing two hours earlier to tackle severe energy shortages, local media said. The fuel crisis has already led to frequent power cuts in Tehran in recent weeks and nationwide closures of schools and businesses. The Tehran Chamber of Trade Unions and Guilds ...

Iran Shuts Down Power Plants Due to Fuel Shortages

Several power plants in Iran have been shut down due to a fuel shortage exacerbated by a cold wave straining energy supply, local media reported on Monday.   Iran, a major energy producer, holds the world's second-largest natural gas reserves, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), and ranked as the seventh-largest crude ...

Iran Closes Offices, Schools Over Cold, Energy Shortage

Iran announced the closure of offices and schools in many provinces across the country on Sunday due to a cold snap and energy shortages, according to state media. Iran is an energy giant, with the world's second-largest reserves of natural gas, according to the US Energy Information Administration. However, the country has been forced to ration ...

Iran Confirms Increase in IAEA Nuclear Inspections

Iran confirmed Saturday that it has allowed watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to increase the number of inspections it carries out into Tehran's nuclear programme, state media reported. "We have increased capacity -- it is natural that the number of inspections should also increase," the official IRNA news agency quoted the ...

Khamenei Says Assad's Fall Will not Weaken Iran

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that the weakening of the anti-Israel "resistance" after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in Syria would not diminish Tehran's power. Some, "unaware of the meaning of resistance, imagine that when the resistance becomes weak, Islamic Iran will also become weak... Iran ...

Tehran : 4,000 Iranians Returned From Syria Since Assad's Fall

Tehran said Tuesday it had brought home 4,000 Iranian citizens from Syria following the ouster of its ally Bashar al-Assad as rebels took over Damascus. "Over the past three days, 4,000 Iranian citizens were returned to Iran," Fatemeh Mohajerani, the spokeswoman for Iran's government, said at a press conference in the capital. She added that ...

The Fall of Assad: Another Major Setback for Hezbollah and Its Allies

The collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime delivers a major blow to the Iranian axis in the region, with Hezbollah bearing the brunt of the impact. Assad's departure signals the disintegration of the once-aspired "Shia Crescent," which aimed to connect Tehran to Beirut via Baghdad and Damascus. As a new Middle East takes shape ...

Iranian Embassy in Syria "Attacked" After Assad's Fall

Iran's embassy in Syria was "attacked" on Sunday, Iranian state TV said, after Islamist-led rebels declared the fall of Tehran ally Bashar al-Assad following a sweeping offensive that culminated in Damascus. "Unknown individuals have attacked the Iranian embassy, as you can see in these images shared by various networks," a state TV broadcaster ...

The Assad Dynasty in Syria: Autocratic Legacy, Repression and Challenges

Syria has been under the rule of the Assad dynasty for more than half a century. Hafez al-Assad, the founder, seized power in 1970, followed by his son Bashar, who took control in 2000 after his father's death. Belonging to the Alawite minority, the Assads established an autocratic regime over a predominantly Sunni population, portraying ...

Before vs. Now…

Before, the people of southern Lebanon lived peacefully in their homes. Now, some sixty villages lie destroyed and out of reach. Before, negotiations with Israel centered on 13 disputed points along the border. Today, it is uncertain whether Lebanon will regain any of its territory. Before, sectarian tensions were kept in check. Today, the ...