Page 48 - Iran

UN tribute to Iran's late Prez Raisi marred by protests, European, US snubs

The UN General Assembly's tribute to Iran's late President Ebrahim Raisi was snubbed by Western and East European nations on Thursday amid protests against honouring a leader who was reviled for his crackdown on opponents. The assembly's tribute was no surprise. It is a longstanding practice that the 193-member world body holds a plenary meeting to pay tribute to the memory of a sitting head of state who dies, where all UN regional groups send representatives to speak about their life and legacy. And there were some warm tributes to Raisi, especially from African nations. But what happened Thursday that was highly unusual was that only representatives from the African, Asian-Pacific, and Latin American and Caribbean regional groups spoke. There were no remarks from the West European or East European groups, or from the United States, which normally speaks last representing the host country. The United States will not attend today's United Nations tribute event for President Raisi i

Iran opens registration prez polls after helicopter crash killed Raisi

Iran opened a five-day registration period Thursday for hopefuls wanting to run in the June 28 presidential election to replace the late Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash earlier this month with seven others. The election comes as Iran grapples with the aftermath of the May 19 crash, as well as heightened tensions between Tehran and the United States, and protests including those over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini that have swept the country. While Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 85, maintains final say over all matters of state, presidents in the past have bent the Islamic Republic of Iran toward greater interaction or increased hostility with the West. The five-day period will see those between the ages of 40 to 75 with at least a master's degree register as potential candidates. All candidates ultimately must be approved by Iran's 12-member Guardian Council, a panel of clerics and jurists ultimately overseen by Khamenei. That panel has never accepted a ..

Long march in Pak for reopening Iran border crossing amid severe shortages

The marchers plan to escalate their demonstration upon reaching Quetta

Executions worldwide jumped last year to highest number since 2015: Amnesty

The number of executions recorded worldwide last year jumped to the highest level since 2015, with a sharp rise in Iran and across the Middle East, Amnesty International said in a report released on Wednesday. The human rights group said it recorded a total of 1,153 executions in 2023, a 30 per cent increase from 2022. Amnesty said the figure does not include thousands of death sentences believed to have been carried out in China, where data is not available due to state secrecy. The group said the spike in recorded executions was primarily driven by Iran, where authorities executed at least 853 people last year, compared to 576 in 2022. Those executed included 24 women and five people who were children at the time the crimes were committed, Amnesty said, adding that the practice disproportionately affected Iran's Baluch minority. "The Iranian authorities showed complete disregard for human life and ramped up executions for drug-related offences, further highlighting the ...

Raisi's helicopter caught fire post crash, no sign of attack, says military

The helicopter carrying Iran's late President Ebrahim Raisi caught fire soon after it crashed into a mountain and there was no sign it was attacked, state media reported, citing the military's crash investigators. The statement from the general staff of the armed forces in charge of investigating the crash was read on state television late Thursday. The first statement on the crash did not lay blame but said more details would come after further investigation. The crash Sunday killed Raisi, the country's foreign minister and six other people. The general staff's statement said the communications between the control tower and the crew of the helicopter before the crash contained nothing suspicious. It said the last communication of the crashed helicopter was between it and two helicopters accompanying it some 90 seconds before the crash. There was no sign of anything shot at the helicopter and its flight path did not change, the statement said. The aging Bell helicopter went down i

Ebrahim Raisi's funeral shows Iran's success at blunting US isolation push

The guest list showed just how hard Iran has worked to repair ties with major Arab countries even if they remain vital US allies that have normalised ties with Israel or are considering do so

Iran prepares to bury late President Raisi, foreign minister and others

Iran on Thursday prepared to inter its late president at the holiest site for Shiite Muslims in the Islamic Republic, a final sign of respect for a protege of Iran's supreme leader killed in a helicopter crash earlier this week. President Ebrahim Raisi's burial at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad caps days of processionals through much of Iran, seeking to bolster the country's theocracy after the crash killing him, the country's foreign minister and six others. However, the services have not drawn the same crowd as those who gathered for services for Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in 2020, slain by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. It's a potential sign of the public's feelings about Raisi's presidency that saw the government harshly crack down on all dissent during protests over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, detained for allegedly not wearing her mandatory headscarf to authorities' liking. That crackdown, as well as Iran's struggling economy, have gone unmentioned in the

Iran's Khamenei presides over funeral for President Raisi and others

Iran's supreme leader presided over a funeral on Wednesday for the country's late president, foreign minister and others killed in a helicopter crash. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began the service at Tehran University, the caskets of the dead draped in Iranian flags with their pictures on them. On the late President Ebrahim Raisi's coffin sat a black turban signifying his direct descendance from Islam's Prophet Muhammad. In attendance were top leaders of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, one of the country's major centres. Also on hand was Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, the militant group that Iran has armed and supported during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war raging in the Gaza Strip. Before the funeral, an emcee led the crowd in the chant: Death to Israel! I come in the name of the Palestinian people, in the name of the resistance factions of Gaza ... to express our condolences, Haniyeh told those gathered. He also recounted meeting Raisi in Tehran during Ramadan, the holy Muslim fasti

From London to LA, Iranians overseas cheer & fear, after president's death

Among Iranian communities from London to Los Angeles, few tears are being shed over the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, killed in a weekend helicopter crash. But there are not always loud cheers, either. While some hope the demise of a powerful figure in Iran's authoritarian Islamic government may bring change, others fear it could result in more repression. It's a better world without him, said Maryam Namazie, a UK-based women's rights campaigner. He is one of the pillars of the Islamic regime of Iran. He has been there since its inception. But, she added: Raisi, however much of a pillar he was, is expendable. There are many others to take his place. Inside Iran, authorities are keeping a tight lid on reaction to the crash that killed Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six others. The government declared five days of mourning, encouraging people into the streets in displays of public grief and support. Prosecutors have warned Iranians against any public ...

Iran's centre of power moves from clerical slippers to combat boots

With Raisi gone, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the most powerful arm of Iran's military is now well placed to become more powerful

VP Dhankhar leaves for Tehran to attend President Raisi's funeral

Meanwhile thousands of people took to the streets in Iran as the funeral ceremony of Raisi began Friday in the city of Tabriz

Khamenei's confidant Mokhber takes key role in Iran as succession looms

What happens next is unclear. The election that will have to take place by July may well include Mokhber on the ballot sheet to replace Raisi on a permanent basis

Vice Prez Dhankhar to visit Iran to pay condolence on demise of Raisi: MEA

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will fly to Iran on Wednesday to attend an official ceremony to pay condolences on the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash, the Ministry of External Affairs said. A one-day state mourning is being observed across India on Tuesday as a mark of respect for Raisi. "Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar will pay a visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran on May 22 to attend official ceremony to pay condolences on the tragic demise of President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other Iranian officials in an unfortunate helicopter crash on May 19," an MEA statement said on Tuesday. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have conveyed their condolences on the demise of Raisi. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited the embassy of Iran here on Tuesday to convey India's condolences on the loss. The Iranian president, the ...

Why President Ebrahim Raisi's death comes at a sensitive time for Iran

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country's foreign minister and several other officials were found dead on Monday, after their helicopter crashed in the country's northwest

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's death unlikely to impact Indian markets

Major equity markets across Europe and Asia were largely stable on Monday. Indian equity markets were shut due to the general election amidst polling in Mumbai as part of the general elections

Highlights of the day: Airbus, Sidbi to collaborate for financing helicopter purchase in India

Latest news updates: Catch all the news updates from around the world here

President Ebrahim Raisi declared dead: What's next for Iran's leadership

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others, were confirmed dead on Monday, a day after their helicopter crashed in the mountainous northwest

EAM Jaishankar recalls contribution of Prez Raisi in Chabahar port pact

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said that due to the interest and initiative of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, "we were actually able to finalise a long-term agreement" on the crucial Chabahar port. Raisi, Abdollahian and a number of other officials were found dead on Monday, a day after their helicopter crashed in northwest Iran, the country's media reported. In response to a query on the Chabahar port during an interaction held at the Delhi Tamil Education Association-run school here, Jaishankar said, "We have been trying for almost 20 years now... to have an agreement with Iran." "We could have like a short-term agreement... the two people who unfortunately died yesterday in a helicopter crash, the president of Iran and the foreign minister of Iran, because of their interest and their initiative, we were actually able to finalise a long-term agreement which is very important because if you look today, one of the big

Iran President Raisi dead ; Timeline of events & how it'll impact Iran

President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian were found dead after an hours-long search in a foggy, mountainous region in Iran. Watch the video to know more about what happened

Iranian prez death: Indian govt announces one-day state mourning on May 21

A one-day state mourning will be observed across India on Tuesday as a mark of respect for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash, the Union Home Ministry has announced. The national flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings where it is regularly flown across India and there will be no official entertainment during the period of state mourning. The Iranian president, the country's foreign minister and several other officials were found dead on Monday, hours after their helicopter crashed in a foggy, mountainous region of the country's northwest, Iran state media reported. A home ministry spokesperson said Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Hossein Amit-Abdollahian, the country's foreign minister, passed away in a helicopter crash. "As a mark of respect to the departed dignitaries, the government of India has decided that there will be one day's state mourning on May 21 (Tuesday) throughout India," the spokesperson ..