Page 27 - Iran

Google Doodle today: Celebrating Persian New Year to mark 'Nowruz 2025'

Google released a unique Doodle to celebrate 'Nowruz 2025'. Celebrated for more than 3,000 years, Nowruz is the Persian New Year and the first day of spring, signifying optimism and rebirth

Trump warns Iran of 'consequences' over further Houthi attacks from Yemen

The comments by Trump on his Truth Social website further escalate his administration's new campaign of airstrikes targeting the rebels

Iran using drones, facial recognition to enforce hijab laws: UN report

UN report comes against the backdrop of widespread protests against Iran's hijab laws and broader political and social grievances

Iran using digital surveillance & vigilantism to crush dissent: UN report

The UN's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission released a report on Friday, stating that Iran is making "concerted state efforts to stifle dissent

Iran increasingly electronically surveils for headscarf violations: UN

Iran increasingly relies on electronic surveillance and the public to inform on women refusing to wear the country's mandatory headscarf in public, even as hard-liners push for harsher penalties for those protesting the law, a United Nations report released on Friday found. The findings of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran come after it determined last year that the country's theocracy was responsible for the physical violence that led to the death of Mahsa Amini. Her death led to nationwide protests against the country's mandatory hijab laws and the public disobedience against them that continues even today, despite the threat of violent arrest and imprisonment. Two and a half years after the protests began in September 2022, women and girls in Iran continue to face systematic discrimination, in law and in practice, that permeates all aspects of their lives, particularly with respect to the enforcement of the mandatory hijab, the ...

China, Russia urge end to US sanctions on Iran, restart of nuclear talks

Representatives of China, Russia and Iran called Friday for an end to US sanctions on Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program and a restart to multinational talks on the issue. The talks are the latest attempt to broach the matter and come after US President Donald Trump wrote to Iran's supreme leader in an attempt to jumpstart talks. The letter, which hasn't been published, was offered as Trump levied new sanctions on Iran as part of his maximum pressure campaign that holds out the possibility of military action while emphasising he still believed a new deal could be reached. The three nations who met Friday morning emphasised the necessity of terminating all unlawful unilateral sanctions, China's Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu read from a joint statement, flanked by Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov Sergey Alexeevich and Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi. The three countries reiterated that political and diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on t

Emirati diplomat with Trump's letter meets with Iran's foreign minister

Iranian state television showed Emirati official Anwar Gargash meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran, Iran's capital

Open to talk about concerns over militarisation of nuclear programme: Iran

Iran said Sunday it would consider negotiations with the United States if the talks were confined to concerns about the militarization of its nuclear program. In a statement posted on X, the country's U.N. mission said: If the objective of negotiations is to address concerns vis--vis any potential militarization of Iran's nuclear program, such discussions may be subject to consideration. A day earlier, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had rejected talks with the U.S., because he said they would be aimed at imposing restrictions on Iran's missile program and its influence in the region. Khamenei's remarks came a day after President Donald Trump acknowledged sending a letter to him seeking a new deal with Tehran to restrain its rapidly advancing nuclear program and replace the nuclear deal he withdrew America from during his first term in office. Khamenei said U.S. demands would be both military and related to the regional influence of Iran. He said such talks would not solve probl

Putin agrees to help Trump broker high-stakes nuclear talks with Iran

White House officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither Russia nor Iran have publicly confirmed or denied the request

US sanctions four Indian firms: What are the charges, and what happens now?

US sanctions four Indian firms for allegedly transporting Iranian oil, citing a covert network fueling Tehran's destabilising activities

US intelligence agencies warn about potential Israel strike on Iran

Iran and Israel have been engaged in a long-standing conflict that intensified following the war in Gaza. Israeli leaders believe that Iran is more vulnerable now, US intelligence findings revealed

Iran loosens import curbs on cars, iPhones in bid to mask its economic woes

All architecture student Amirhossein Azizi wanted for his 19th birthday was the latest iPhone and for Iran's cash-strapped theocracy, it was just the gift they needed as well. Just buying a top-of-the-line iPhone 16 Pro Max in Iran's capital cost him on the day 1.6 billion rials ($1,880). An additional 450 million rials ($530) is required for import fees and registration on government-managed mobile phone networks. I'm very happy to own one of the most expensive phones in the country," Azizi said. His father, Mohammad, laughed nearby and added: Maybe if they had to earn the money themselves, they wouldn't be so quick to spend it. The purchase is only possible after Iran lifted import bans on expensive goods like foreign cars and new iPhones, yielding to public demand for the products while also trying to mask the dire straits of its economy. While being described as a way to boost Iran's much-vaunted resistance economy," the decisions trapped Iranians into buying more affordable .

Iran-India share long-standing friendship, says Ambassador Iraj Elahi

Elahi asserted that Iran remains committed to protecting its national interests, ensuring security, expanding economic diplomacy, and promoting regional peace

With Trump in office, Iranians mark anniversary of 1979 Islamic Revolution

Tens of thousands of Iranians marked the anniversary of the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution, the first such rally since President Donald Trump returned to the White House and restarted his maximum pressure campaign targeting Tehran. The annual commemoration of the end of the rule of the American-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the creation of Iran's Shiite theocracy comes this year as deep uncertainty lingers across the country. Iran faces crushing sanctions wrecking its economy and the threat of more coming from Trump, even as the American president suggests he wants to reach a deal with Tehran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday criticised proposed talks with the United States and described negotiations with America as "not intelligent, wise or honourable. Khamenei also suggested that there should be no negotiations with such a government, though stopped short of issuing a direct order not to engage

Iran praises US cuts on foreign aid funding, looks forward to nuclear talks

Iran's government seems to be welcoming some recent decisions by the United States even though they happen to come from a man Iranian operatives have allegedly been plotting to assassinate. President Donald Trump's moves to freeze spending on foreign aid and overhaul, maybe even end, the US Agency for International Development have been lauded in Iranian state media. The reports say the decisions will halt funding for opponents of the country's Shiite theocracy pro-democracy activists and others supported through programs as part of US government's efforts to help democracy worldwide. At the same time, Iranian officials appear to be signalling that they are waiting for a message from Trump on whether he wants to negotiate over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. At stake are potentially billions of dollars withheld from Iran through crushing sanctions and the future of a program on the precipice of enriching weapons-grade uranium. And even when signing an executive order

Syria's interim president visits Saudi Arabia, signaling shift on Iran

Syria's interim president made his first trip abroad Sunday, travelling to Saudi Arabia in a move likely trying to signal Damascus' shift away from Iran as its main regional ally. Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was once aligned with al-Qaida, landed in Riyadh alongside his government's foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani. The two men travelled on a Saudi jet, with a Saudi flag visible on the table behind them. Saudi state television trumpeted the fact that al-Sharaa, first known internationally by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, made Riyadh his first destination. Syria's new three-star, tricolour flag flew next to Saudi Arabia's own at the airport as al-Sharaa in a suit and tie walked off the plane. He later met with a smiling Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, at al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh. The state-run Saudi Press Agency described their discussions as examining ways to support the security and stability of sisterly Syria. Syria's state-run SA

Iran test-fires anti-warship cruise missile with range of over 600 miles

Iran test-fired an anti-warship cruise missile with a range of 1,000 kilometres capable of reaching US Navy ships in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, state TV reported on Saturday. This is a Ghadr-380 mile type L. It has over 1,000 kilometres range. It has anti-jamming capability, said Gen. Ali Reza Tangsiri, the head of the navy of the Revolutionary Guard, in a report that showed an underground missile facility on the southern coast of Iran. The report elaborated neither on warhead that the missile carried, nor the time of the test. Tangsiri said the facility is only one part of the missile systems of the Guard, adding that the missiles can create a hell for the enemy's warships. The report said the new weapon was a sophisticated missile, without elaborating, which could be launched from the underground facility. The missile was launched from central Iran into the Sea of Oman, it said. It said the missile can be made ready and launched by one member of personnel in less than fiv

Blackouts in Iran leave industry in tatters ahead of Donald Trump's return

Since November, producers have been denied electricity for as many as two days a week as the aging grid staggers under international sanctions and lack of foreign investment

Russia, Iran have troubled history despite their current alliance

Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting his Iranian counterpart Friday for the signing of a broad pact between Moscow and Tehran. The Kremlin says the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will take their cooperation to a new level. The signing comes ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to broker peace in Ukraine and take a tougher stance on Iran. What to know about the Russian-Iranian relationship: Historic rivals become allies Russia and Iran fought wars in the 18th and 19th centuries, with the Russian Empire capturing broad territories in the Caucasus and the Caspian region previously controlled by Persian rulers. In the early 20th century, Russian troops occupied large parts of northern Iran, but the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution ended their presence. In World War II, the Soviet Union and Britain invaded Iran, which still evokes painful memories in Tehran. Tensions ran

Looking at resuming crude oil supply to India, expanding trade basket: Iran

Iran is looking at ways to resume supplying crude oil to India and is keen on expanding the overall trade basket including in the petro-chemical sector through the strategically-located Chabahar port, a senior Iranian official said on Thursday. Tehran is also keen to expand counter-terror cooperation with India as the possibility of rise in the terrorist activities looming large over West Asia in view of the fragile situation in the region, especially in Syria, he said. The senior Iranian official told a group of journalists that the incoming Donald Trump administration is unlikely to be similar to that of his first term towards Tehran as the global geopolitics have undergone significant changes with China increasing its strategic heft. In his first term as the US president, Trump tightened the noose of sanctions on Iran, eyeing over 80 per cent of the country's economy and even ended Washington's participation in the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran. On the overall situation in West