Page 8 - Iran

Omar Abdullah urges J&K students in Iran to return, heed advisory

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday urged students from Jammu and Kashmir studying in Iran to follow the Union government's advisory and return home while commercial travel remains operational. In its latest advisory, the Embassy of India asked its citizens to "leave Iran by available means of transport, including commercial flights." The advisory comes in the wake of Saturday's protests in Iran following 40-day memorials for people killed in January during anti-government rallies. "I would tell them that please do not ignore this advisory from the government of India, because it otherwise becomes an issue for us," Abdullah told reporters in Ganderbal district in central Kashmir. The chief minister said the situation in Iran is currently stable, with airports open and commercial flights operating. "I appeal to all the students and those who work there, who do not ignore this advisory, book your tickets and leave Iran," he said. "The Ministry of External Affairs has not issued

Iran signs €500 mn missile deal with Russia to rebuild air defences

Iran has signed a nearly €500 million deal with Russia to buy portable air-defence missiles, aiming to quickly rebuild its weakened air shield after last year's conflict damaged key defence systems

Inside Iran's preparations for war and the regime's plans for survival

Probable successor to Khamenei: A former commander in the Revolutionary Guards Corps and the current head of the Supreme National Security Council

Iran prepares nuclear counterproposal as Trump weighs military strikes

Iranian FM did not give specific timing for when Iran would deliver its counterproposal to Witkoff and Kushner but said a diplomatic deal could be achieved 'in a very short period of time'

Trump's Iran ultimatum sets up potential attacks following IAEA meeting

The prospect of a war between the US and Iran has triggered a rise in oil prices, with Brent trading above $71 a barrel - near six-month highs - and on course for a 5% gain across the week

Iran concerns jolt markets; Sensex, Nifty see worst day since Budget

Escalating US-Iran tensions, rising crude prices and fears of FPI reversal dragged indices lower, with markets posting their steepest decline since February 1

Iran says it agreed with US on principles for potential nuclear deal

The two sides will each draft and exchange texts for a deal before setting a date for a third round of talks, he said, cautioning that the next stage would be "more difficult and detailed"

Iran temporarily closes Strait of Hormuz for drills as talks with US resume

Iran announced the temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday for live fire military drills in a rare show of force as its negotiators held another round of indirect talks with the United States in Geneva over its disputed nuclear programme. It was the first time Iran has announced the closure of the key international waterway, through which 20 per cent of the world's oil passes, since the US began threatening Iran and rushing military assets to the region. It marks a further escalation in a weekslong standoff that could ignite another war in the Middle East. As the talks began, Iran's state media announced that it had fired live missiles toward the Strait and would close it for several hours for "safety and maritime concerns." The semiofficial Tasnim news agency, which is close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said missiles launched inside Iran and along its coast had struck their targets in the Strait. Iranian state TV later said the talks had wrapped up after

Nuclear talks with US in Geneva end after 3-hour meet: Iranian state media

Iranian state TV says the latest round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States ended after almost three hours. The negotiations held in Geneva came as Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz for live fire drills. The US and Iran were holding their second round of talks about Iran's nuclear programme on Tuesday in Geneva as Iran said it will close the Strait of Hormuz for several hours for live fire military exercises and the United States ramps up its military forces in the region.

Two Iranians nabbed with over 200 kg chemical substance off Gujarat coast

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the Coast Guard have apprehended two Iranian nationals with more than 200 kg of a chemical substance in the high seas off the Gujarat coast, an official said on Tuesday. The ATS received a tip-off regarding a suspected chemical being brought within Indian waters near the international maritime boundary line (IMBL), around 140 nautical miles from the Porbandar coast, ATS Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sunil Joshi said. In a joint operation with the Coast Guard lasting eight to 10 hours, two Iranian nationals were apprehended with 203 packets of suspected chemicals around 8 pm on Monday, he said. The suspected chemical substance was being bought on a speed boat, prima facie, from Iran, and was to be handed over to a person from Punjab, the official said. The speed boat was seized, and packets containing white powder were brought to the Porbandar coast guard station for further forensic analysis, he said. In April last year, the ATS and the

Trump asks Iran to be 'reasonable' in next round of nuclear talks in Geneva

Iran and the United States held the previous rounds of nuclear talks in April 2025 in Muscat, Oman, and Rome, Italy

Iran meets UN nuclear watchdog in Geneva ahead of second round of US talks

Iran's top diplomat met with the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency on Monday, ahead of a second round of negotiations with the United States over Tehran's nuclear program. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and said he would also meet with Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi of Oman, which is hosting the US-Iran talks in Geneva on Tuesday. "I am in Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal," Araghchi wrote on X. "What is not on the table: submission before threats." Iran open to compromise in exchange for sanctions relief ------------------------------------------------------------ On Sunday, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi signaled that Tehran could be open to compromise on the nuclear issue, but is looking for an easing of international sanctions led by the United States. "The ball is in America's court. They have to prove they want to have a deal w

India seizes Iran-linked US-sanctioned tankers, steps up surveillance

The Indian Coast Guard has since deployed about 55 ships ​and 10 to 12 aircraft for round-the-clock surveillance in its maritime zones, according to the ‌source

Regime change in Iran would be the 'best thing that could happen': Trump

The US and Iran opened negotiations in Oman last week with Trump seeking an arrangement that would curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions, and threatening to strike the country if he does not secure a deal

Another US' aircraft carrier likely being sent to Middle East amid tensions

The world's largest aircraft carrier has been ordered to sail from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East, a person familiar with the plans said Thursday, as US President Donald Trump considers whether to take possible military action against Iran. The move by the USS Gerald R. Ford, first reported by The New York Times, will put two carriers and their accompanying warships in the region as Trump increases pressure on Iran to make a deal over its nuclear programme. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military movements. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and three guided-missile destroyers arrived in the Middle East more than two weeks ago. It marks a quick turnaround for the USS Ford, which Trump sent from the Mediterranean Sea to the Caribbean last October as the administration build up a huge military presence in the leadup to the surprise raid last month that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. It also appears to be at odds with Trump's ...

Death toll in Iran protest crackdown rises over 7,000, say activists

The death toll from a crackdown over Iran's nationwide protests last month has reached at least 7,002 people killed with many more still feared dead, activists said Thursday. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which offered the latest figures, has been accurate in counting deaths during previous rounds of unrest in Iran and relies on a network of activists in Iran to verify deaths. The slow rise in the death toll has come as the agency slowly is able to crosscheck information as communication remains difficult with those inside of the Islamic Republic. Iran's government offered its only death toll on January 21, saying 3,117 people were killed. Iran's theocracy in the past has undercounted or not reported fatalities from past unrest. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll, given authorities have disrupted internet access and international calls in Iran. The rise in the death toll comes as Iran tries to negotiate with the United Sta

Iran's President apologises to 'all those affected' by protests, crackdown

Iran's president apologised on Wednesday to "all those affected" by the nationwide protest and bloody crackdown that followed it. President Masoud Pezeshkian also denounced unspecified "Western propaganda" surrounding the protests. Pezeshkian said he knew the "great sorrow" felt by people in the protests and crackdown, without directly acknowledging the hand Iranian security forces had in the bloodshed. "We are ashamed before the people, and we are obligated to assist all those who were harmed in these incidents," Pezeshkian said. "We are not seeking confrontation with the people." Pezeshkian also insisted that his nation was "not seeking nuclear weapons... and is ready for any kind of verification." His comments came during a speech at a commemoration marking Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran is in the midst of negotiations with the United States over its nuclear program. It remains unclear, though, if a nuclear deal will be reached. President Donald Trump has threatened to se

Russia, Iran accuse Elon Musk's Starlink of violating international law

The Starlink service has become a key communication link for Ukrainians fighting against Russia's invasion, as well as Iranian opposition forces that took to the streets last month

Top Iran security official to travel to Oman for nuclear talks with US

A top Iranian security official will travel Tuesday to Oman, the Mideast sultanate now mediating talks between Tehran and the United States over the Islamic Republic' nuclear program aimed at halting a possible American strike. Ali Larijani, a former Iranian Parliament speaker who now serves as the secretary to the country's Supreme National Security Council, likely will carry his country's response to the initial round of indirect talks held last week in Muscat with the Americans. Larijani is due to meet with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, the chief intermediary in the talks, and Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. IRNA described the talks as "important," without elaborating on what message Larijani will carry. Iran and the U.S. held new nuclear talks last week in Oman. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking Sunday to diplomats at a summit in Tehran, signaled that Iran would stick to its position that it must be able to enrich urani

Crackdown on dissent after Iran protests widens to target reformist figures

Iranian security forces have launched a campaign to arrest figures within the country's reformist movement, reports said on Monday. That widens a crackdown on dissent after authorities earlier put down nationwide protests in violence that killed thousands and saw tens of thousands more detained. Detained Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has received another prison sentence of over seven years. It signals a widening effort to silence anyone opposed to the bloody suppression of unrest by Iran's theocracy as it faces new nuclear talks with the United States. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned he could launch an attack on the country if no deal is reached. Media reports quoted officials within the reformist movement, which seeks to change Iran's theocracy from inside, as saying at least four of their members had been arrested. They include Azar Mansouri, the head of the Reformist Front, which represents multiple reformist factions, and former diplomat Mohsen ...