Tehran

Saudi Arabia Weighs Its Position as Houthis Enter the Fray

For nearly a month, Saudi Arabia has absorbed sustained waves of Iranian missile and drone attacks on its cities and critical energy infrastructure, while maintaining a posture of calculated restraint.  This comes as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement launched its first missile toward Israel on Saturday since the start of the war, ...

U.S. and Iraq to 'Intensify Cooperation' Against Attacks

The United States and Iraq will "intensify cooperation" to prevent attacks and ensure Iraqi territory is not used to launch assaults against US facilities, Washington's embassy in Baghdad said in a statement. Since the war began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Iraq has been increasingly drawn into a conflict it had sought to avoid ...

Israel Strikes Iranian Energy Infrastructure Before U.S. Diplomacy Deadline

Israel struck infrastructure targets across Iran on Friday, with Iranian officials saying the attacks hit two major steel factories, a power plant and multiple nuclear-linked sites as the campaign widened beyond purely military targets. The IDF claimed credit for the strikes on nuclear related facilities, just days after President Trump extended ...

Iran's Gulf Islands: Are They in Trump's Crosshairs?

Iran has warned the United States about attempting to seize any of its strategic islands in the Gulf -- a move that President Donald Trump is reported to be mulling. AFP looks at potential targets.  Kharg  A strip of scrubland located in the northern Gulf, about 30 kilometres from the coast, Kharg is home to Iran’s largest oil ...

Israel Strikes Key Iranian Naval Facility as U.S. Considers Troop Buildup in Middle East

Israel on Friday struck a key Iranian naval weapons facility, escalating Middle East tensions as the United States weighs a major troop buildup in the region.  The Israeli military announced that it has carried out a major airstrike targeting what it described as Iran’s most central facility for the production of naval missiles and sea ...

Lebanon Expels Iran’s Envoy, but the IRGC Still Looms Large

While Lebanese authorities’ decision to expel Iran’s envoy to the country marks a significant attempt to restore state sovereignty and redefine the bounds of ties between Tehran and Beirut, its practical impact on the ground remains limited. Beirut’s move comes amid an escalating war between Israel and Hezbollah that has underscored the ...

Lebanon Declares Iran's Ambassador Unwelcome, But Can It Make Him Leave?

The Lebanese state has formally expelled Iran’s envoy to Beirut, its latest step to curb Tehran’s influence as the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah intensifies. On March 24, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said he had instructed his ministry to inform Iran’s chargé d’affaires in Lebanon, Toufiq Samadi Khoshkou, ...

Cautious Optimism as Oil Prices Decline and Stock Markets Rebound

Oil prices continued to decline on Wednesday, leading to a rebound in stock markets, as traders appeared willing to believe in the possibility of a peace plan proposed by Donald Trump to Iran. “Market movements are driven by narratives and headlines: today, everything revolves around the prospect of a ceasefire,” summarized Neil ...

Iran Names Ex-Guards Commander to Succeed Larijani as Security Chief

Iran named on Tuesday a former Revolutionary Guards commander to succeed Ali Larijani as head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council after the veteran insider of the Islamic system was killed in an Israeli strike. Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, whose appointment was confirmed by state TV, is a former deputy commander-in-chief of Iran's ...

Lebanon to Expel Iran’s Ambassador, Giving Him Until Sunday To Leave

In an official statement on Tuesday, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants announced that it summoned Iran’s chargé d’affaires in Lebanon, Toufic Samadi Khoshkou. He was received by Secretary-General Ambassador Abdel Sattar Issa, who conveyed the Lebanese state’s decision to withdraw its approval of the ...