Page 39 - Iran

Iran launches satellite that is part of Western-criticised programme

Iran on said Saturday it had conducted a successful satellite launch into its highest orbit yet, the latest for a program the West fears improves Tehran's ballistic missiles. The announcement comes as heightened tensions grip the wider Middle East over Israel's ongoing war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and just days after Iran and Pakistan engaged in tit-for-tat airstrikes in each others' countries. The Soraya satellite was placed in an orbit at some 750 kilometers (460 miles) above the Earth's surface with a three-stage rocket, the state-run IRNA news agency said. It did not immediately acknowledge what the satellite did. The launch was part of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' space programme alongside Iran's civilian space program, the report said. There was no immediate independent confirmation Iran had successfully put the satellite in orbit. The United States has previously said Iran's satellite launches defy a UN Security Council resolution and called on Tehran to undertake no ...

Pakistan's civil-military leadership holds meeting amid tension with Iran

Pakistan's civil-military leadership held a high-level consultative meeting on Friday to discuss the ongoing tiff with Iran as the two neighbours made amends to repair the frayed ties following their military strikes in each other's territory. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar presided over the meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) while services chiefs, cabinet ministers, and other officials were in attendance, sources said. The NSC meeting has started and is currently underway, a source said. The officials from the defence and foreign ministries will brief the meeting about the attack by Iran and counter charge by Pakistan armed forces, sources said. It is said the NSC is likely to give guidelines for future ties with Iran. Kakar had rushed back home on Thursday night from Davos, where he had gone to attend the World Economic Forum event after Pakistan and Iran carried out military strikes against each other. Pakistan conducted "precision military strikes" ag

Iran condemns Pakistan's 'unbalanced and unacceptable' drone attack

It said Iran adheres to the policy of "good neighbourliness and brotherhood" between two nations and does not allow enemies to strain the ties between Tehran and Islamabad

Pak strikes terrorist hideouts in Iran's Siestan-o-Balochistan province

Pakistan on Thursday said that the country's air force struck terrorist hideouts in Iran's Siestan-Balochistan province, a day after Islamabad recalled its ambassador from Tehran in the wake of Iranian missile and drone strikes in Balochistan. "This morning Pakistan undertook a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Siestan-o-Baluchistan province of Iran," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday. It said a number of terrorists were killed during the intelligence-based operation codenamed "Marg Bar Sarmachar". Pakistan on Wednesday recalled its ambassador to Iran and suspended all planned high-level bilateral visits, hours after Tehran launched an unprecedented missile and drone strikes on what it said were directed at the bases of a terrorist group in the restive Balochistan province. Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Baloch in a terse statement read out to the media on Wednesday said

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After Pakistan hits back on Iran, China offers mediation to ease tensions

China Thursday offered to play a "constructive role" to ease tension between Pakistan and Iran following their missile strikes against each other over the last two days and asked the two countries to "exercise restraint and calmness and avoid escalation". Pakistan conducted "precision military strikes" against what it called "terrorist hideouts" in Iran's Siestan-Balochistan province that killed 9 people in the wee hours on Thursday. The attack was seen as retaliation to Iranian missile and drone attacks on Tuesday which targeted two bases of the Sunni Baloch militant group 'Jaish al-Adl' in Pakistan's unruly Balochistan province. The attacks have put China in a piquant situation as Pakistan is an all-weather ally, while Tehran is warming up to Beijing in recent years enabling China to expand its influence in the West Asia region. China also imports a considerable amount of oil from Iran. "Did you say that Pakistan launched strikes on Iran? I'm not aware of this, Chinese Foreign ...

From drone attack to Jaish al-Adl: Iran-Pakistan conflict explained

Iran breached Pakistan's air defence system to reportedly attack terror outfit Jaish al-Adl in the Balochistan province of Pakistan, triggering conflict between the nations

Attack 'seriously damaged bilateral ties': Pak foreign minister to Iran

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has told his Iranian counterpart that the unprecedented attack by Iran seriously damaged the ties between the two nations. Iranian missiles and drones on Tuesday night targeted two bases of the Balochi militant group Jaish al Adl in Pakistan's border town of Panjgur in Balochistan province. Jilani, who is currently leading the Pakistan delegation to the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in Kampala, Uganda, on Wednesday in a telephonic conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian stressed that the attack conducted by Iran inside the Pakistani territory on January 16 was not only a serious breach of Islamabad's sovereignty but also an egregious violation of international law and the spirit of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Iran, the Foreign Office said in an overnight statement. Expressing Pakistan's unreserved condemnation of the attack, the foreign minister added that the incident has ...

Understand actions taken in self defence: MEA on Iran's missile strike

In a carefully crafted reaction on Iran's deadly missile strike targeting terror bases in Pakistan, India on Wednesday said it understands actions that countries take in their self defence. At the same time, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it is a matter between Iran and Pakistan, and asserted that India has "an uncompromising" position of "zero tolerance" towards terrorism. "This is a matter between Iran and Pakistan," he said. The spokesperson was responding to media queries on the Iranian missile strike in Pakistan. "So far as India is concerned, we have an uncompromising position of zero tolerance towards terrorism. We understand actions that countries take in their self defence," Jaiswal said. Tehran launched an unprecedented missile and drone strikes on what it said were directed at the bases of a terrorist group in the restive Balochistan province. Two bases of the Sunni Baloch militant group 'Jaish al-Adl' in Pakistan's unruly Balochistan provi

Pakistan expels Iran ambassador, recalls envoy in response to airstrikes

Earlier, Iran attacked the headquarters of a terrorist group opposed to Tehran with drones and missiles in Pakistan on late hours of Tuesday, Al Arabiya News reported citing Tasnim news agency

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Iran targets militant group in Pak: All you need to know about Jaish al-Adl

Iran said it employed 'precision missile and drone strikes' to demolish two strongholds of the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl

Pakistan condemns Iran's 'violation of its airspace' post missile attacks

Pakistan on Wednesday issued a strongly worded condemnation of Iran's "violation of its airspace", during which Tehran claimed to have targeted two bases belonging to the Jaish al-Adl militant group. It also warned the neighbouring country that such actions can have "serious consequences". Iran on Tuesday launched attacks in Pakistan, targeting what it described as bases for the militant group, the country's state media reported, potentially raising tensions in a Middle East already roiled by Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The attack took place a day after similar Iranian strikes in Iraq and Syria. Pakistan also summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to convey its "strongest condemnation of this blatant violation" of its sovereignty. The Foreign Office of Pakistan also described Iran's act as "unprovoked violation of its airspace" in its statement. According to reports, Iran hit the bases of the militant group with missiles and drones.

Iran strikes targets in northern Iraq and Syria as tensions escalate

Iran announced late on Monday that it had launched strikes against a "spy headquarters and the gathering of anti-Iranian terrorist groups" shortly after missiles hit an upscale area near the US consulate in Irbil, the seat of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region. The security council of the Kurdish regional government said in a statement that four civilians were killed and six injured in the strikes. Peshraw Dizayi, a prominent local businessman, was killed in one of the strikes along with members of his family, according to a post on X, by former Iraqi member of parliament Mashan al-Jabouri, who said that one of the missiles had fallen on Dizayi's "palace, next to my house, which is under construction on the road to the Salah al-Din resort". Soon after, a statement from Iran's Revolutionary Guards on state media said it had struck "terrorist operations" including Islamic State targets in Syria "and destroyed them by firing a number of ballistic missiles". Another statement claimed

Jaishankar meets Iranian counterpart, discusses Chabahar, Red Sea crisis

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday held wide ranging discussions with Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian here and their discussion focused on the long term framework for India's involvement with the strategically vital Chabahar port and the North-South connectivity project. Jaishankar, who is in the Iranian capital as part of the ongoing high-level exchanges between the two sides, also called on Iranian President Dr Ebrahim Raisi and conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Held wide ranging discussions today in Tehran with Iranian FM @Amirabdolahian. Our bilateral discussion focused on the long term framework for India's involvement with Chabahar port and the INSTC connectivity project," Jaishankar said in a post on X. He also spoke about threats to maritime shipping in the region and stressed that it's important that this issue be "speedily addressed", in an apparent reference to targeting of merchant vessels in the Red Sea by Iranian-backe

EAM Jaishankar will embark on a two-day visit to Iran from Sunday

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will embark on a visit to Iran on January 14 as part of the ongoing high-level exchanges between the two sides.EAM Jaishankar will be on a two-day visit from January 14 to January 15."External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will visit Iran on 14-15 January 2024 as part of the ongoing high-level exchanges between the two sides," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.During his visit, he will meet his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and will discuss bilateral, regional and global issues."He will meet Foreign Minister of Iran, H.E. Dr. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and hold discussions on bilateral, regional and global issues," the statement added.Moreover, political cooperation, connectivity initiatives and strong people-to-people ties will constitute important aspects of the agenda.Recently, in November, the 18th India-Iran Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) were held in Tehran.The Indian side was led by Foreign Secretary .

US, Britain carry out strikes against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen

Britain's ministry of defense said in a statement that "early indications are that the Houthis' ability to threaten merchant shipping has taken a blow"

With every strike, Israel, US, and Iran's allies inch closer to all-out war

In the last week alone, Israel has killed a senior Hamas militant in an airstrike in Beirut, Hezbollah has fired barrages of rockets into Israel, the US has killed a militia commander in Baghdad and Iran-backed rebels in Yemen have traded fire with the American Navy. Each strike and counterstrike increases the risk of the already catastrophic war in Gaza spilling across the region. And in the decades-old standoff pitting the US and Israel against Iran and allied militant groups, any one party could choose all-out war over a loss of face. The divisions within each camp add another layer of volatility: Hamas might have hoped its October 7 attack would drag its allies into a wider war with Israel. Israelis increasingly talk about the need to change the equation in Lebanon, even as the US aims to contain the conflict. As the intertwined chess games grow ever more complicated, the potential for miscalculation rises. GAZA IS GROUND ZERO Hamas says the October 7 attack that triggered the

Death toll in Islamic State-claimed suicide blasts in Iran rises to 91

The death toll from a suicide bombing in Iran claimed by the Islamic State group has risen to at least 91, state TV reported Saturday. The TV quoted Babak Yektaparast, a spokesman for the country's emergency services, as saying an 8-year boy and a 67-year-old man, who were wounded in the attack, have now died. Yektaparast added that there are 102 people still being treated in hospitals, of whom 11 are in critical condition. In Wednesday's attack, one suicide bomber detonated his explosives, then another attacked 20 minutes later as emergency workers and other people tried to help the wounded. The attack took place in Kerman, about 820 kilometres (510 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran. It targeted a commemoration for Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, killed in 2020 by a US drone strike as he led its expeditionary Quds Force. The intelligence ministry said Friday that one of the two suicide bombers was a Tajik national. At least 11 people linked to the attack have been arrested.

Islamic State claims responsibility for deadly blasts that rattled Iran

Islamic State, an extremist Sunni group, is ideologically opposed to Shia-dominated Iran, regarding Shias as infidels