Tehran

Iran's Khamenei bemoans low oil production

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday bemoaned his country's oil production levels and called for the diversification of its export markets as Tehran faces renewed pressure from the West. "Oil production in the country -- with the importance it has in the economy, which is obvious -- is low," Khamenei said in a ...

Yemeni Authorities Arrest Lebanese and Syrians Over Houthi-Linked Captagon Factory

Yemen’s Interior Ministry announced on Saturday that it had arrested a group of Lebanese and Syrian nationals in Aden who were preparing to move into Houthi-controlled areas to oversee the establishment of a new factory for producing narcotic pills. In a statement, the ministry said security forces in the temporary capital, Aden, apprehended ...

EU top Diplomat Holds Nuclear Talks with Iran as Sanctions loom

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas met Thursday in Doha with Tehran's top diplomat to seek a "negotiated solution" to Iran's nuclear program, as the clock ticks down towards a reimposition of sanctions, the EU said. The meeting came after European powers last week triggered a deadline for sanctions to come back into force on Iran for failing to ...

Hezbollah’s Weapons: A Leaky Umbrella

On Friday, the Council of Ministers is, in principle and unless the session is postponed, scheduled to examine the army's plan to disarm Hezbollah. The key question is: Will there be a timeline or not? Without one, Hezbollah would gain time and save face while waiting to see how negotiations between Iran and the United States unfold. For everyone ...

Post-Berri Speech: Would Iran Use Hezbollah’s Weapons in Nuke Negotiations?

Without ceremony or pomp, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri buried the American proposal brought to Lebanon by envoy Tom Barrack, a plan already endorsed by the Lebanese government. In a televised address marking the 47th anniversary of Imam Musa al-Sadr’s disappearance with his two companions, Berri declared, “We are open to ...

Europeans Tell Iran Offer on Table to Avoid Sanctions

European powers said Friday they were ready to drop a new sanctions push on Iran if it addresses concerns on its nuclear program over the next month, but Tehran denounced the offer as insincere. Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, triggered the so-called "snapback" mechanism the previous day to reinstate UN sanctions on Tehran for ...

Putin to Meet Iranian President After Europe Triggers Sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss Tehran's nuclear program with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, in China on Monday, a meeting that comes as Iran faces fresh Western pressure. Britain, France and Germany have moved to reimpose sanctions on Iran, saying the country is failing to comply with a 2015 nuclear deal. Moscow on ...

Iranian Nuclear Issue: Moscow and Beijing Express Concerns Over EU Ultimatum

Following the European decision to trigger the mechanism that could reinstate international sanctions against Iran within a month—a move set to be reviewed Friday by the UN Security Council, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-president, Kaja Kallas said Friday, “Western countries now have 30 days to find ...

Hezbollah: The Voice of Its Master

Hezbollah and its weapons, a never-ending tale. Same story, on repeat. Giving up the arsenal? Never. Without it, there is no arbitrary power, no rent to collect. And like any loyal client, Hezbollah clings to its dealer: Iran. Each time an Iranian leader takes the stage or embarks on a “diplomatic” tour, the pattern is predictable. Days ...

Iran Says Return of IAEA Inspectors not Full Resumption of Cooperation

Iran said Wednesday that the return of UN nuclear inspectors did not represent a full resumption of cooperation, which was suspended in the aftermath of June attacks by Israel and the United States. A team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency has returned to Iran, its director general Rafael Grossi said, the first to enter ...