tehran

Iran in Lebanon: The Toxic Interference of a Declining State

The Lebanese state has taken a bold and historic decision: to disarm Hezbollah and other militias, and to restore full sovereignty over the entire national territory. This goal is fundamental and shared by nations worldwide. It is an essential milestone for Lebanon to emerge from the shadow of weapons and conflict, rebuild the war-torn villages of ...

Tehran Vows to Block Lebanon’s Sovereignty Efforts

Tehran’s open opposition to Lebanon’s push for full state sovereignty has become increasingly clear, as Lebanese authorities seek to dismantle Hezbollah’s status as a “state within a state.” The process, launched by President Joseph Aoun and the Lebanese government on Tuesday, aims to restore the Lebanese state’s full authority over ...

No Matter Time, Stubbornness Holds Tight…

The famous Georges Brassens song, adapted to Lebanon’s reality, manages to make you both smile and cry. On Tuesday, while the government carefully navigated the minefield surrounding Hezbollah’s weapons, trying to find wording that could pass as a compromise, the secretary-general of the pro-Iranian militia spoke openly, without holding ...

Iran Orders Office Closures as Heatwave Strains Power Grid

Iranian authorities ordered many government offices to close on Wednesday in a bid to cut power consumption as a heatwave strains generating capacity, state media reported. At least 15 of Iran's 31 provinces will see public offices either shut or operating on reduced hours, the official IRNA news agency said. Provinces affected include West ...

Iran says US Accountability for Attacks on Nuclear Sites Part of Ay Future Talks

Iran said Monday it would hold the United States accountable for attacks on its nuclear sites in any future negotiations, while ruling out direct talks with Washington. The United States struck key Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22, briefly joining a war launched by Israel that had derailed talks on Tehran's atomic programme. "In any ...

Iran Rejects Western Accusations of Overseas Plots as 'Baseless'

Iran on Friday rejected accusations by the US and more than a dozen of its allies that Tehran had attempted to kill or kidnap dissidents, journalists and officials in Western countries. In a statement, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei described the claims as "baseless", calling them "an attempt to divert public attention from the ...

Azerbaijan: The Triumph of Pragmatism over Religious Identity

In the heart of the Caucasus, Azerbaijan stands out for its unconventional geopolitical alignments. Though predominantly Shia in religious composition, this secular post-Soviet republic has positioned itself as one of Israel’s closest allies and a strategic partner to the West, all while maintaining a strained relationship with neighboring ...

US Imposes Sanctions on Shipping Empire Tied to Iranian Leaders

The United States on Wednesday slapped sanctions on a shipping empire controlled by the son of a top political advisor to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Treasury Department said sanctions were being imposed on companies and vessels operated by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani, who has been subject to US ...

Iran Meets European Powers Amid Threats of UN Sanctions Snap Back  

Iranian diplomats met counterparts from Germany, Britain and France on Friday for renewed nuclear talks, amid warnings that the three European powers could trigger "snap back" sanctions outlined under the 2015 deal. The meeting in Istanbul was the first since Israel's mid-June attack on Iran, which sparked a 12-day war and targeted ...

Iran Reaffirms ‘Unshakable’ Right to Enrich Uranium Ahead of Key Talks with Europe

Iran on Thursday reaffirmed its right to enrich uranium, saying it was "unshakable", on the eve of key talks with European powers threatening to reimpose nuclear sanctions. Friday's meeting, set to take place in Istanbul, will be the first since Israel's mid-June attack targeting key nuclear and military sites in the Islamic republic sparked a ...

IAEA Team to Visit Iran Within 2-3 Weeks

A delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency will visit Iran within two to three weeks, an Iranian official said Wednesday, adding that the group will not have access to the country's nuclear sites. "We have agreed, actually, to accept a delegation of the IAEA, a technical delegation, to pay a visit to Iran very soon, in two to three ...