tehran

Iran Expands Military Drills to Additional Nuclear Sites

Iran has expanded military drills to cover two additional nuclear facilities in the west and centre of the country, state media reported on Sunday. The drills -- dubbed Eqtedar, or "might" in Farsi -- began last week and are set to continue until mid-March. They involve the army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the ideological ...

Iran President Urges Israeli Withdrawal from Syrian Territory

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday called for the withdrawal of Israel from Syrian territory following the fall of long-time Tehran ally Bashar al-Assad. His remarks came during a visit to Tehran by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani where discussions covered topics such as trade, cooperation, and recent developments in ...

Iran Rejects Macron's Remarks on its Role in Region as 'Baseless'

Iran on Wednesday rejected as "baseless" French President Emmanuel Macron's claim that Tehran was the main strategic and security challenge in the Middle East. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei described the comments as "baseless, contradictory, and speculative," and called for France "to reconsider its non-constructive approaches to ...

France Asks Citizens to Avoid Iran Until 'Hostages' Released

France on Tuesday urged its citizens to avoid travelling to Iran until French nationals held there have been released. "The situation of our compatriots held hostage in Iran is quite simply unacceptable. They have been unjustly detained for several years, in unworthy conditions," Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, urging French nationals not ...

Iran Executed Over 30 Women in 2024

Iran in 2024 executed at least 31 women, an NGO said on Monday, warning that female prisoners were increasingly being caught in a surge in the use of capital punishment in the Islamic republic. Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), which closely tracks executions in Iran, said in a report that the figure for 2024 marked the highest number of ...

Iran Lifts WhatsApp Ban, but Other Restrictions Persist

Ardavan Yousefi has gotten so used to life under Iran's sweeping internet restrictions that for him, a recent decision to lift a ban on messaging service WhatsApp went virtually unnoticed. "Is it really removed now?" Yousefi, a café owner from the capital Tehran, said of the two-year ban on the popular application. To be certain, he switched ...

Iran to Hold Nuclear Talks With 3 European Powers in Geneva on January 13

Iran will hold nuclear talks with France, Britain, and Germany on January 13 in Switzerland, local media reported on Wednesday, quoting a foreign ministry official. "The new round of talks between Iran and three European countries will be held in Geneva on January 13," said Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International ...

Iran Predicts the Emergence of New Resistance in Syria Against Israel

Iran's security chief Ali Akbar Ahmadian said a new group would emerge in Syria to fight Israel following the fall of president Bashar al-Assad, state media reported. "With the occupation of Syrian territories by the Zionist regime, a new resistance has been born that will manifest itself in the years to come," said Ahmadian, the secretary of ...

Carter's Legacy in Iran: A "Negative Role" in the Eyes of Many Iranians

Iran played a central role in Jimmy Carter's presidency, but in Tehran, where state television branded him the "architect of economic sanctions", many have far from fond memories of the late US president. The former US president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who passed away on Monday at the age of 100, left behind a legacy of punitive measures ...

Jimmy Carter: From Humiliation in Iran to the Historic Camp David Accord

The humiliation of the hostages in Iran will remain a stain on the record of Jimmy Carter, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 100. However, the former U.S. president achieved the first Israeli-Arab peace agreement, one of the successes of a foreign policy long criticized for its perceived weakness. Even Zbigniew Brzezinski, his national ...

Middle East Crisis: A Challenging Transformation

It was hardly surprising. In this part of the world, where decades of chronic turmoil are frequently interrupted by bouts of disorder fueled by power struggles, the potential for harm has yet to be fully contained. A new political landscape appears to be emerging in various parts of the Middle East, as declared by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ...

Police Commander Killed in South Iran 'Terrorist' Attack

A "terrorist attack" killed a police commander on Saturday in Bandar-e Lengeh, a coastal city in Iran's southern province of Hormozgan, local media reported. Tasnim news agency said the commander "was targeted" in the deadly attack. "The attacker was also killed," Tasnim said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, a rarity ...