Page 7 - Iran

CIA tracked Iranian leaders for months before strikes, says report

The CIA had been tracking the movements of senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for months. That's according to a person familiar with the operation who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke Sunday on condition of anonymity. The intelligence was shared with Israeli officials, and the timing of this weekend's strikes was adjusted in part because of that information, the person said. The New York Times earlier reported about the CIA's efforts ahead of the Israeli-US strikes.

Indian among 58 injured as three people killed in UAE in Iranian strikes

Iranian strikes across the UAE in the past two days have resulted in three fatalities and 58 injured, including an Indian national, officials confirmed on Sunday. The Indian Embassy in the UAE in a social media post said it was aware of the injury to the Indian national and is in touch with the hospital authorities. "The Indian national is out of danger. We are rendering all possible assistance," it said. According to a list released by the authorities, the nationalities of those injured also include Pakistani, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi expatriates. "The authorities reported 58 cases of minor injuries involving citizens and residents of multiple nationalities, including Emirati, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Filipino, Pakistani, Iranian, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Azerbaijani, Yemeni, Ugandan, Eritrean, Lebanese, and Afghan," a statement released here said. The UAE's Defence Ministry on Sunday said it intercepted 165 ballistic missiles, with 152 destroyed and 13 drowned in the sea. I

US military says 3 service members killed, 5 wounded in Iran operation

Central Command made the announcement on social media Sunday without providing additional information

Iran war likely to hit India's three-pronged fuel reliance as tensions rise

Timing of the new US-Israel bombing of Iran and Tehran's response couldn't be worse for India

West Asia crisis: Govt, exporters to meet on Monday to review trade impact

The Commerce Ministry has convened a meeting of exporters, shipping lines, freight forwarders and officials from other ministries on Monday to assess the impact of escalating tensions in the Middle East region on India's trade. The US and Israel jointly launched military strikes on Iran on Saturday. Iran responded by firing drones and missiles at Israel and US military installations around the Gulf, and also at the global business hub of Dubai. The ministry has called the meeting in a hybrid mode to assess the impact of the evolving situation on India's trade, the official said. Exporters have expressed serious concerns that the war will affect trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Both are key for movement of ships. It connects India to the Gulf region, North America and Europe. Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President SC Ralhan said the ongoing conflict has already begun to disrupt established global logistics channels. Air rou

New leadership council has begun work after Khamenei killing: Iran Prez

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian says a new leadership council "has begun its work" after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US and Israeli strikes. Pezeshkian made the comment in a prerecorded message aired on Iranian state television Sunday. Pezeshkian is one of three officials on the council. The other two are Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehei, head of the judiciary, and Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi.

Iran names third member to leadership council that will govern the country

Iran has selected a 66-year-old cleric to join the three-member leadership council that will govern the country until a new supreme leader is selected. Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi has been a member of both constitutional watchdog Guardian Council and the Assembly of Experts that will choose the next leader. He was hand picked by late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a member of the Guardian Council in 2019. Arafi joins President Masoud Pezeshkian and head of judiciary cleric Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehei on the council.

Ayatollah Khamenei is dead, Iranians must take back their country: Trump

US President Donald Trump announced the death of the Iranian leader, but cautioned that the bombing of Iran would continue through the week, perhaps even longer

Ayatollah Khamenei dead, says Israeli official; Iran denies claims

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officials were targeted in the first wave of strikes by the US and Israel on Saturday morning; Iran has not confirmed Khamenei's demise

'Final victory is near': Exiled Prince Pahlavi as US, Israeli strike Iran

Exiled Iranian crown prince calls for calm and readiness after the US and Israel launched strikes against the Islamic regime in Iran; appeals to security forces and President Trump

Protests continue at Iranian colleges as US military threat looms

It has been seven weeks since the Iranian government used brute force to extinguish huge nationwide protests. But public resistance to the Islamic Republic is still flickering on Iranian college campuses. Anti-government demonstrations were held on at least 10 campuses in the past week, according to an exiled Iranian activist who tracks the country's student movement, four students who witnessed protests, and social media videos verified by The Associated Press. The students, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, all spoke of rising anger on their campuses toward Iran's leaders, and of confusion about the direction their country was headed. The simmering tensions on campuses come as the Iranian government led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei faces threats of military action by the United States over the country's nuclear programme. The theocratic government is increasingly threatening students and administrators. One government official warned student

Oil can flare 57% to $110/bbl in worst-case on Iran-US tensions: Analysts

On the flip side, a deal between the US and Iran coupled with the excess global supply/capacity could see limit the upside after a volatile phase, analysts said.

Unable to confirm Iran has suspended all uranium enrichment: UN watchdog

Iran has not allowed the United Nations nuclear watchdog to access nuclear facilities affected by the 12-day war in June, according to a confidential report by the UN nuclear watchdog circulated to member states and seen Friday by The Associated Press. The report stressed that therefore the agency "cannot verify whether Iran has suspended all enrichment-related activities," or the "size of Iran's uranium stockpile at the affected nuclear facilities.

US, Iran wrap up talks in Geneva as American forces mass in West Asia

Iran and the United States wrapped up another round of indirect talks in Geneva on Thursday aimed at reaching a deal on Tehran's nuclear program and potentially averting another war as the US gathers a massive fleet of aircraft and warships in the Middle East. US President Donald Trump wants a deal to constrain Iran's nuclear program, and he sees an opportunity while the country is struggling at home with growing dissent following nationwide protests. Iran also hopes to avert war, but maintains it has the right to enrich uranium and does not want to discuss other issues, like its long-range missile program or support for armed groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. Oman's foreign minister, who is mediating the talks, said Thursday that they had ended but "will resume soon." Badr al-Busaidi wrote on X that there had been "significant progress in the negotiation" without elaborating. He said technical-level talks would take place next week in Vienna, home to the International Atomic Energy

US, Iran deal possible if nuclear, non-nuclear issues are separated

Trump said on February 19 that Iran must make a deal in 10 to 15 days, warning that "really bad things" would otherwise happen

Iran ramps up oil exports amid rising US military presence in region

Last year, shortly before American air strikes, Iran rushed to get its oil out of its ports by shipping large volumes onto tankers and sending as much as it could to Kharg Island

Trump admin imposes fresh sanctions on Iran ahead of nuclear talks

The Trump administration on Wednesday imposed another tranche of sanctions on people and companies accused of enabling Iran's ballistic missile program, drone production and illicit oil sales as the US presses Tehran to make a deal ahead of nuclear talks this week. The sanctions against 30 people, companies and ships come as President Donald Trump has massed the largest US buildup of warships and aircraft in the region in decades and has threatened to use military action in a bid to get Iran to constrain its nuclear program. The latest round of talks between US officials, including envoy Steve Witkoff, and Iranian negotiators via mediator Oman are scheduled for Thursday in Geneva. The new sanctions imposed by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control include a list of ships accused of being part of Iran's "shadow fleet," which refers to rusting oil tankers that smuggle oil for countries facing stiff sanctions. Also targeted are drone manufacturing firms, including

Trump warns Iran, says would 'never' allow it to develop nuclear weapon

Trump reiterated that he will prefer to resolve the conflict through a diplomatic deal but said Tehran had not committed to not developing nuclear weapons

Iranians worry over US military buildup as last-chance round of talks nears

As the United States assembles its greatest military firepower in decades in the Middle East, Iranians are warily awaiting the next round of talks with the US in Geneva this week - negotiations that many see as a last chance for their ruling theocracy to strike a deal with US President Donald Trump. Some say the situation feels hopeless. Battered by decades of sanctions, heightened by Trump's 2018 decision to withdraw from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers, Iranians also just suffered through the bloodiest crackdown on dissent in the country's modern history. In January, security forces killed thousands of people and detained tens of thousands more. Still, Iran heads into the Thursday talks "with a determination to achieve a fair and equitable deal-in the shortest possible time," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted Tuesday on X. As Iranians await the outcome of the Geneva negotiations, many fear the outbreak of a war that could surpass Iran's bloody 1980s conflict with ...

Iran close to deal with China to buy supersonic anti-ship missiles

Iran nears deal with China for CM-302 anti-ship missiles as US carriers mass near its coast, raising stakes in regional standoff