Page 55 - Iran

Iran to draw up roadmap with Belarus to strengthen economic ties

Iran's first Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber has said that Tehran and Minsk will draw up a roadmap for expanding economic and trade relations

Iran to close all schools in Tehran for a day because of high air pollution

All schools in the Iranian capital of Tehran will close for a day because of dangerously poor air quality, the country's state television reported on Tuesday. Primary schools have been closed for the past two days in Tehran, which has over 10 million residents, but now, increasing pollution is forcing the closure of all schools on Wednesday, the TV said. Classes will continue online. Similar measures were announced for Tehran's neighbouring Alborz province. the school week in Iran is from Saturday to Wednesday. Also Tuesday, authorities urged the elderly, those who are sick and children to take precautions. Tehran's air is among the most polluted in the world and school closures because of poor air quality are a regular occurrence. The smog is mostly caused by heavy traffic as well as factory pollution and typically worsens during the cold season. Inversions commonly hover over Tehran in the winter. The city is surrounded by tall hills and mountains on three sides. As cold, stag

Iran media blames humiliating Fifa World Cup defeat in Qatar on protests

Iran was reeling Tuesday from the humiliation of starting the World Cup with a lopsided 6-2 loss against England in a match overshadowed by protests on and off the field. Hard-line Iranian media sought to blame the defeat on the unrest that has gripped the Islamic Republic since the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country's morality police. Iranian newspapers turned to the familiar tactic of accusing foreign enemies, including the United States, Britain and Israel, of stirring up protests to throw the national team off its game. Iran - 2; England, Israel, Saudi and traitors - 6, read the headline in hard-line daily Kayhan. The newspaper, whose editor-in-chief is appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Iran's rout came after weeks of unfair and unprecedented psychological warfare against the team ... from domestic and foreign-based traitors." It added that a political media current has sought to damage the spirit of Iran's team

Iran enriches uranium to 60% purity in response to UN watchdog order

Iran has begun producing enriched uranium at 60 per cent purity at the country's underground Fordo nuclear plant, official media reported on Tuesday, describing it as a response to a resolution by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog. The increased enrichment, reported by the official news agency IRNA, was seen as a significant addition to the country's nuclear programme. Enrichment to 60 per cent purity is one short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. Nonproliferation experts have warned in recent months that Iran now has enough 60 per cent-enriched uranium to reprocess into fuel for at least one nuclear bomb. Iran is already enriching to 60per cent purity at its Natanz nuclear facility in central Iran. Fordo is some 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of the capital of Tehran. IRNA did not give details on the amount of the enriched uranium being produced. On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, said his country took the steps in reac

FIFA: England run riot, Netherlands leave it late, US-Wales share spoils

Day 2 of the FIFA World Cup managed to create plenty of talking points and, as some had predicted before the tournament, a lot of these were off the field as wel

FIFA World Cup 2022: Need to do better, says England after beating Iran 6-2

England got off to a great start in the first half, leading by 3-0 before adding three more goals in the second half.

Auditors in Iraq uncover $2.5 billion tax fraud from nation's authority

Auditors in Iraq have uncovered a massive scheme in which a network of businesses and officials embezzled some $2.5 billion from the country's tax authority, despite layers of safeguards. The scandal poses an early test for Iraq's new government, which was formed late last month after a prolonged political crisis. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has vowed to crack down on corruption, but few expect any senior officials or political leaders to be held accountable. The scale of the embezzlement is remarkable, even for an oil-rich country where corruption has been rampant for decades. Transparency International, a global watchdog, rated Iraq 157th out of 180 countries on its 2021 index for clean governance. The auditors' report, obtained by The Associated Press and first reported by the Guardian, suggests the theft was orchestrated by a broad network of officials, civil servants and businessmen. In Iraq's deeply-rooted patronage system, such individuals often have links to ..

England vs Iran Highlights: Almost a perfect game for ENG, beat IRI 6-2

Fifa World Cup Highlights: Southgate's England pulled in almost a perfect job as they scored six goals against Iran to win their opening match of Group B at Khalifa Stadium. Iran also pulled two back

Iran team refuses to sing national anthem at Fifa World Cup match

Iranian captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh said the team would take a collective decision on whether or not to refuse to sing the anthem in support of anti-government protesters in Iran

Iranian president slams EU, says backing terrorism not in West's interests

Raisi said "the enemy" attempted to disrupt Iran's advancements by dealing blows to the country's security and economy as well as education and production sectors

FIFA World Cup 2022 Group A and B analysis: England, Netherlands favourites

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar: Here's a detailed analysis of which two teams will qualify for the knockouts from Group A and B of the tournament

Drone hits Israeli-linked tanker; Iran frees 2 Greek tankers

An oil tanker associated with an Israeli billionaire has been struck by a bomb-carrying drone off the coast of Oman amid heightened tensions with Iran, officials said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Greece said Iran freed two Greek oil tankers held by Tehran since May. The drone attack on the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Pacific Zircon happened on Tuesday night off the coast of Oman, one Mideast-based defence official told The Associated Press. The official was not authorised to discuss the attack publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The Pacific Zircon is operated by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, which is a company ultimately owned by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer. In a statement, Eastern Pacific Shipping said the Pacific Zircon, carrying gas oil, had been hit by a projectile some 150 miles (240 kilometres) off the coast of Oman. We are in communication with the vessel and there is no reports of injuries or pollution. All crew are safe and accounted for, the company

UK faces major security threats from Russia, China, Iran: MI5's McCallum

Britain faces major security threats from the trio of Russia, China and Iran, which all use coercion, intimidation and violence to pursue their interests, the UK's domestic intelligence spy chief said on Wednesday. Ken McCallum, director-general of MI5, added to mounting warnings from British authorities about Russia's aggression and China's growing assertiveness. He also singled out Iran as a mounting concern, saying UK authorities have uncovered at least 10 potential threats this year to kidnap or even kill British or UK-based individuals perceived as enemies of the regime. He said Iran's intelligence services are prepared to take reckless action against opponents, both on Western soil and by luring people to Iran. Last week, the UK government summoned Tehran's top diplomat in London for a dressing-down, accusing Iran of threatening journalists working in Britain. UK-based Farsi-language satellite news channel Iran International said British police had warned two of its journalis

Iranian Prez says resistance only way to counter 'greed' of the West

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that Iran's economic, scientific and energy capacities can benefit bilateral and multilateral cooperation with other nations.

Shops in Iran, including Tehran's Grand Bazaar, close over protests

Iranian shops in Tehran's historic Grand Bazaar and elsewhere across the country closed their doors Tuesday amid protests gripping the nation, as two prominent soccer stars also announced they would not be attending the upcoming World Cup over the demonstrations. The shop closures came amid calls for a three-day national strike to mark earlier protests in 2019 against Iran's theocracy that ended in a violent crackdown by authorities. However, this round of demonstrations after the September death of a 22-year-old woman earlier detained by the country's morality police have continued despite activists recording at least 344 deaths and 15,820 arrests so far. The protests have seen prominent former players Ali Daei and Javad Nekounam both say they've declined a FIFA invitation to attend the World Cup in Qatar, where Iran will play. Shuttered storefronts could be seen across Tehran, Iran's capital, on Tuesday. Several shops did remain open, however, as a heavy security presence could be

UN human rights ooffice urges Iran to free detained peaceful protesters

The UN human rights office is calling on Iran's government to immediately release thousands of people who have been detained for participating in peaceful protests, faulting its increasing harshness as Western countries seek to ratchet up scrutiny of Tehran's crackdown against demonstrators. Spokesman Jeremy Laurence of the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said it was calling for all charges to be dropped against the demonstrators and cautioned that Iran can only mete out the death penalty for the most serious crimes" under international law amid concerns that some protesters could be facing capital punishment. Instead of opening space for dialogue on legitimate grievances, the authorities are responding to unprecedented protests with increasing harshness, Laurence said at a regular UN press briefing in Geneva. He said at least 10 protesters had been charged with offenses that carry the death penalty including one found guilty of either "waging war against God o

France vows tougher sanctions against Iran amid crackdown on protesters

French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday the West should step up sanctions against Iran by targeting government officials who are part of the violent crackdown on protesters demanding women's rights in the Islamic Republic. Iranian women and some men have been protesting the government's severe restrictions on their daily life since late September after the death of a 22-year-old Mahsa Amini following her arrest for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic's strict dress code. Tens of thousands of people across France and Europe have marched in solidarity protests with rebelling Iranians, demanding freedom for women and an end to the compulsory headscarf. French music and film stars, including two Oscar-winning actors, Marion Cotillard and Juliette Binoche, filmed themselves chopping off locks of their hair in support of protesters in Iran. Women in Iran fight this fight with exceptional courage under the threat to their lives and the lives of their loved ones, Macron told ...

Thousands of Iranians died of Covid-19 due to US sanctions: Official

The sanctions, preventing Iran from transferring money through financial channels, made it difficult for the country to import Covid-19 vaccines and the necessary medicine during that period

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says Iran can expect more EU sanctions

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz strongly criticized the Iranian government Saturday for its bloody crackdown on protests in the country said Germany stands shoulder to shoulder with the Iranian people. Scholz said the ongoing protests sparked by the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini following her detention by Iran's morality police were no longer merely a question of dress codes but had evolved into a fight for freedom and justice. The protests have grown into one of the largest sustained challenges to Iran's theocracy since the chaotic months after its 1979 Islamic Revolution. We can barely begin to imagine how much courage this takes," Scholz said in his weekly video address. "More than 300 killed, dozens of death sentences and more than 14,000 arrests. So far. Those who demonstrate against oppression in Iran risk their lives, and often also the lives of their loved ones and face the prospect of torture and decades in prison. Hundreds of thousands of people in Germany with

UN rights body to hold urgent session on Iran amid crackdown on protestors

The UN's top human rights body is poised to hold a special session on Iran in the wake of the government's deadly crackdowns on protesters, threats against journalists and other alleged human rights violations in the Islamic republic. The Human Rights Council will hold the session in the week of November 21 "if possible on November 24," following a diplomatic request by Germany and Iceland. Germany sent a letter to the council offices Friday announcing the call for a special session "to address the deteriorating human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially with respect to women and children." At least one-third of the council's 47 member states need to support such a request and the move by Germany suggests it has lined up enough backing. The protests in Iran, sparked by the September 16 death of a 22-year-old woman after her detention by the country's morality police, have grown into one of the largest sustained challenges to the nation's theocracy since the