Page 2 - Iran

UN Security Council votes down effort to halt Iran snapback sanctions

A UN Security Council resolution aimed at halting the reimposition of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme failed Friday after weeks of last-ditch diplomatic talks appeared to break down days before the annual United Nations gathering of world leaders. The resolution put forth by South Korea, the current president of the 15-member council, did not garner the support of the nine countries required to halt the series of sanctions from taking effect at the end of the month, as outlined in Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Only four countries China, Russia, Pakistan and Algeria supported the effort, with some using the meeting to blast the European leaders for what they called an unjustified and illegal action against Iran. Their only goal now is to use the council as a tool for their bad faith play, as a lever to exert pressure on the state in favour of a state which is trying to defend its sovereign interests, Vassily Alekseevich Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador to

Iran withdraws resolution to ban attacks on nuclear sites after US pressure

Iran decided at the last minute Thursday to withdraw a resolution prohibiting attacks on nuclear facilities that it had put forward along with China, Russia and other countries for a vote before an annual gathering of the UN nuclear watchdog's member nations. Western diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the US has been heavily lobbying behind the scenes to prevent the resolution from being adopted. The US has raised the possibility of reducing funding to the International Atomic Energy Agency if the resolution was adopted and if the body moved to curtail Israel's rights within the agency, the diplomats said. In 1981, the provision of assistance to Israel under the IAEA's technical assistance programme was suspended as a result of an Israeli strike on a nuclear reactor in Iraq. At the time, the attack was strongly condemned in resolutions by the UN Security Council, the IAEA General Conference and the IAEA Board of Governors. The ...

Iran, France near prisoner swap deal including woman held for posts on Gaza

Iran's foreign minister says Iran and France are close to agreeing to an exchange of prisoners, including the release of an Iranian woman arrested in France over her online posts related to the war in Gaza. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state TV late on Thursday that Mahdieh Esfandiari is expected to be released as part of a swap that he hoped would happen in the coming days. Esfandiari, a translator living in the French city of Lyon since 2018, was arrested in February on a terror-related charge for alleged posts on Telegram about the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza, according to French media reports. Araghchi did not elaborate on any French prisoners who might be released, but France has long sought the release of two French citizens held in Iran on suspicion of espionage. Ccile Kohler and Jacques Paris have been detained since May 2022. French Foreign Minister Jean-Nol Barrot declined on Friday to comment on Araghchi's remarks other

Iran, IAEA sign Cairo agreement to resume nuclear inspections cooperation

Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency signed an agreement Tuesday in Cairo to pave the way for resuming cooperation, including on ways of relaunching inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities. The announcement followed a meeting among Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi and International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi. No further details were provided about the agreement, but Grossi said at a joint news conference after the signing that it was technical in nature and highlighted the indispensable inspection work that needs to resume in Iran under the treaty of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. It's a step in the right direction," Grossi said. The Egyptian foreign ministry, meanwhile, said the agreement followed intensive diplomatic efforts by that county. And Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi noted Tuesday that the IAEA plays a major role in supporting nuclear non-proliferation provisions, while

US considers ban on wholesale shopping, other visa curbs for Iranians

The Trump administration already has denied visas for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and his large delegation to attend a high-level UN meeting this month and is now considering ramping up restrictions on several other delegations that would severely limit their ability to travel outside New York City. Potential travel and other restrictions could soon be imposed on the delegations from Iran, Sudan, Zimbabwe, and, perhaps surprisingly, Brazil, which has held a traditional place of honour during the high-level leaders gathering at the UN General Assembly that begins September 22, according to an internal State Department memo seen by The Associated Press. While the potential restrictions are still under consideration and the circumstances could change, the proposals would be another step in the Trump administration's crackdown on visas, including a wide-ranging review of those already holding legal permissions to come to the US and those seeking entry to head to the UN meeting. The

The Evin Prison Bakers Club: Prison memoir details hard-baked resistance

The book blends memoir, recipes, and resistance, portraying Iranian women prisoners who turn baking into an act of defiance and solidarity

Iran boosted near-weapons grade uranium stockpile before Israeli strike: UN

Iran further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels before Israel launched its military attack on June 13, a confidential report by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog seen by The Associated Press said Wednesday. The report by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency said that as of June 13, Iran had 440.9.6 kg of uranium enriched up to 60%, an increase of 32.3 kg since the IAEA's last report in May. The report stated that this figure is based on the information provide by Iran, agency verification activities between 17 May 2025 and 12 June 2025 (the day preceding the start of the military attacks), and estimates based on the past operation of the relevant facilities. That material is a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. The confidential report also stated that as of June 13, Iran's total enriched uranium stockpile was 9874.9 kg, which represents an increase of 627.3 kg since the last report in May. The UN nuc

Houthis raid UN offices in Yemen's capital, detain 11 staff members

Iran-backed Houthis on Sunday raided offices of the United Nations' food, health and children's agencies in Yemen's capital, detaining 11 UN employees, officials said. The rebels tightened security across Sanaa following the Israeli killing of their prime minister and several Cabinet members. Abeer Etefa, a spokesperson for the World Food Program, told The Associated Press that security forces raided the agencies' offices in the Houthi-controlled capital on Sunday morning. Also raided were offices of the World Health Organization and UNICEF, according to a UN official and a Houthi official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief the media. The UN official said armed forces raided the offices and questioned employees in the parking lot. Ammar Ammar, a spokesperson for UNICEF, said a number of the agency's staffers were detained, and UNICEF was seeking additional information from the Houthis. Both Etefa and Ammar said their agencies were conducti

Xi hosts Russia, North Korea, Iran and Myanmar at Beijing military parade

Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, who rarely travels abroad, will also attend, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday

Australia expels Iranian ambassador over alleged antisemitic attacks

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused Iran of directing at least two antisemitic attacks in Australia and said the country is expelling the Iranian ambassador on Tuesday. Albanese said that Australian intelligence services had connected Iran to attacks on a Sydney restaurant and a Melbourne mosque. There has been a steep rise in antisemitic events in the two cities since the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023. ASIO has gathered enough credible intelligence to reach a deeply disturbing conclusion. The Iranian government directed at least two of these attacks. Iran has sought to disguise its involvement but ASIO assesses it was behind the attacks, Albanese told reporters, referring to the main domestic spy agency.

At least 6 dead, 86 injured in Israeli strikes targeting Houthis in Yemen

Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen's capital on Sunday, days after Houthi rebels fired a missile toward Israel that its military described as the first cluster bomb the rebels had launched at it since 2023. The Iranian-backed Houthis said multiple areas across Sanaa were hit. The Houthi-run health ministry said at least two people were killed and 35 others were wounded. The rebels' Al-Masirah satellite television reported a strike on an oil company, and video on social media showed a fireball erupting there. Israel's military said it struck the Asar and Hizaz power plants, calling them a significant electricity supply facility for military activities, along with a military site where the presidential palace is located. Sanaa residents told The Associated Press they heard explosions close to a closed military academy and the presidential palace. They saw plumes of smoke near Sabeen Square, a central gathering place in the capital. The sounds of explosions were very strong, said Hussein .

Iran's navy launches country's first military drill since war with Israel

Iran launched its first military exercise since the end of its 12-day war with Israel, state television reported Thursday, with navy vessels launching missiles at targets at sea in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean. While such drills are routine in the Islamic Republic, the 'Sustainable Power 1404' exercise comes as authorities in Iran are trying to project strength in the wake of a war that saw Israel destroy air defence systems and bomb nuclear facilities and other sites. The state TV report said naval vessels would fire cruise missiles at targets and use drones over the open water. It did not immediately air any footage from the exercise. Iran's navy, estimated to have some 18,000 personnel, apparently avoided any major attack during the June war. The navy, based out of the port city of Bandar Abbas, patrols the Gulf of Oman, the Indian Ocean and the Caspian Sea, and broadly leaves the Persian Gulf and its narrow mouth, the Strait of Hormuz, to Iran's paramilitary Revolution

UN nuclear watchdog official to visit Iran soon, no inspections planned

The deputy head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog will visit Iran in a bid to rekindle soured ties, the Islamic Republic's foreign minister said on Sunday. There will be no inspection of Iran's nuclear facilities during the visit by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) scheduled for Monday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said. The visit would be the first following Israel and Iran's 12-day war in June, when some of its key nuclear facilities were struck. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on July 3 ordered the country to suspend its cooperation with the IAEA, after American and Israeli airstrikes hit its most-important nuclear facilities. The decision will likely further limit inspectors' ability to track Tehran's programme that had been enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels. As long as we haven't reached a new framework for cooperation, there will be no cooperation, and the new framework will definitely be based on the law passed by the Parliament, Araghch

Iran transfers inmates to Evin prison, which Israel targeted in June

Iranian state media reported that authorities on Friday returned a group of inmates to Evin prison, which Israel targeted during an airstrike in June. A report by the official IRNA news agency said that authorities returned the first group of prisoners to Evin from another correction facility in Tehran, suggesting that further transfers will continue in the coming days. The report didn't say how many prisoners were transferred or how many others are expected to be transferred to the jail. It said that new facilities were constructed at the site of prison to accommodate the inmates, adding that five prisoners resisted wearing handcuffs required by police to transfer them. The report said they were eventually transferred without any conflict and in peace. It didn't elaborate. But Fakhrolsadat Mohtashamipour the wife of prominent activist Mostafa Tajzadeh said on social media that law enforcement officers beat her husband and six other prisoners to force them to wear handcuffs. The

Iran executes man for spying for Israel, another for IS group sabotage

Iran executed two men in separate cases Wednesday, accusing one of spying for Israel and another of being a member of the Islamic State group, state media reported. A report by the judiciary news website Mizanonline identified the alleged spy as Rouzbeh Vadi, who was accused of relaying classified information to Israel's intelligence service, the Mossad. Authorities said Vadi provided information about an Iranian nuclear scientist who was killed during Israel's June airstrikes on Iran, according to the report, which did not identify the scientist or the time and place of Vadi's arrest. Vadi met the Mossad officers five times in Vienna, Austria, the report said. Israel's ambassador to France, Joshua Zarka, said in June that Israel's 12-day war on Iran included targeted strikes that killed at least 14 physicists and engineers involved with Iran's nuclear program. Iran has hanged seven people for espionage during the conflict with Israel, sparking fears from activists that the govern

China pushes back at US demands to stop buying Russian, Iranian oil

US and Chinese officials may be able to settle many of their differences to reach a trade deal and avert punishing tariffs, but they remain far apart on one issue: the US demand that China stop purchasing oil from Iran and Russia. "China will always ensure its energy supply in ways that serve our national interests," China's Foreign Ministry posted on X on Wednesday, following two days of trade negotiations in Stockholm, responding to the US threat of a 100 per cent tariff. "Coercion and pressuring will not achieve anything. China will firmly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests," the ministry said. The response is notable at a time when both Beijing and Washington are signalling optimism and goodwill about reaching a deal to keep commercial ties between the world's two largest economies stable -- after climbing down from sky-high tariffs and harsh trade restrictions. It underscores China's confidence in playing hardball when dealing with the Trump ...

Iran founds new Supreme National Defence Council after attacks by Israel

Iran founded a new defence council after attacks in June by Israel and the US, Iranian state media reported Monday. Iran's Supreme National Security Council, the country's highest security body, made the decision to establish the Supreme National Defence Council, which will be headed by President Masoud Pezeshkian, the report said. The council will handle defensive plans and improve the capabilities of Iran's armed forces. Members will include the speaker of Parliament, the head of the judiciary and the chiefs of military branches and related ministries, the report said. The defence, intelligence and foreign ministries are expected to be council members, although the report did not provide those details. Iran's decision follows a 12-day air war by Israel and the US that led to the deaths of nearly 1,100 people including military chiefs and commanders. A ceasefire has been in force since shortly after the airstrikes targeted Iran's major nuclear facilities. Iran had a similar counc

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Pak, Iran agree to increase bilateral trade volume to $10 billion annually

Pakistan and Iran on Sunday agreed to enhance bilateral trade volume to USD 10 billion from the current USD 3 billion annually as they signed 12 agreements and MoUs after talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Prime Minister Sharif announced the new bilateral trade target while addressing a joint press meeting with President Pezeshkian after their talks during which they also agreed to strengthen cooperation to combat militancy along their shared border, according to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). The agreement to enhance bilateral trade volume to USD 10 billion was reached earlier in the morning during a meeting between Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Iranian Minister for Industry, Mines and Trade Mohammad Atabak. Sharif also said that Iran has the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, which had been at the heart of the current conflict with Israel. Pakistan stands with Iran for the acquisition of peacefu

Scott Anderson captures US' hubris, Iran's revolution in exceptional detail

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